216 polling places open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
[Editor’s Note: The Wake County Elections team has created this user-friendly media kit as a reference resource for journalists covering the 2026 Primary on March 3: 2026 Primary Media Kit.]
Tuesday, March 3, is Election Day, and Wake County voters have one final opportunity to cast a ballot in the 2026 Primary. Polling places across the county will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Voters must cast their ballot in their home precinct. Voters can confirm their registration status, view their sample ballot and find their assigned polling place using the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool. Those who need to look up a polling place by address may use the State Board’s Election Day Polling Place Search tool.
“It was great to see such strong turnout during the early voting period, and our focus now is ensuring all 216 polling places are fully prepared for Election Day,” said Wake County Board of Elections Director Olivia McCall. “Our team is ready, and we encourage voters to confirm their assigned polling place, review their sample ballot, bring an acceptable photo ID and arrive in time to be in line by 7:30 p.m.”
Primary Election Information
In a partisan primary, voters affiliated with a political party may only vote that party’s ballot and may not vote in another party’s primary. This remains true even if the party a voter is affiliated with does not have a primary in 2026, such as the Libertarian Party and the Green Party. Unaffiliated voters may choose either a Democratic or Republican primary ballot.
Due to an ordinance adopted in May 2024, the City of Raleigh now conducts its municipal elections using the nonpartisan primary and election method. All eligible voters who live within the corporate limits of Raleigh may participate in the nonpartisan primary, regardless of party affiliation, and those candidates will appear on the ballot without party affiliation listed.
All voters will be asked to show an acceptable form of photo identification when presenting to vote. A full list of acceptable photo IDs is available on the State Board of Elections website. All voters will be allowed to vote, with or without photo ID. If a voter is unable to present an acceptable form of photo ID, election officials will offer the option of returning later with ID or voting provisionally.
All eligible voters in line by 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote. After all voters have left the polling place, officials will begin closing the polls.
Unofficial election results will be reported on the State Board of Elections Results Dashboard as they become available. Absentee and early voting results will be the first to appear after 7:30 p.m., followed by Election Day precinct results, which will be posted as they are received and processed.
Absentee Ballot Return Information
Wake County voters who requested an absentee ballot must ensure their ballot is received at the Wake County Board of Elections Operations Center by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, March 3, to be counted, with no exceptions. This deadline applies to ballots returned by mail or in person. Absentee ballots cannot be returned at an Election Day polling place.
For more information on upcoming elections and voting, visit ReadyToVote.com.
About Wake County Board of Elections
The Wake County Board of Elections is responsible for conducting all elections held in the county. The board establishes election precincts and voting sites; appoints and trains precinct officials; prepares and distributes ballots and voting equipment; certifies ballots cast in elections and investigates any voting irregularities.
The Wake County Board of Elections also maintains voter registration and voting records for more than 845,000 voters. To learn more about Wake County Board of Elections, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X, or contact us at 919-404-4040.
