Buncombe County Sets Pre-Canvass, Canvass Dates After March Primary

Tonight's pre-canvass meeting at 5:30 p.m. kicks off the final stretch of Buncombe County's post-primary certification process, with the official canvass following Friday morning at 35 Woodfin Street in Asheville.

The Buncombe County Board of Elections scheduled both meetings to close out the March 3 primary. The pre-canvass convenes tonight, March 12, at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of the Elections Services building at 35 Woodfin Street. The official canvass follows Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the same address, where results will be formally certified. As county election materials state directly: "Results will not be finalized or official until after canvass is completed."

Voters who tracked returns on election night at buncombenc.gov/vote were viewing unofficial tallies. The county has been explicit on that point: "To get the quickest UNOFFICIAL election results on Election Night visit our website, buncombenc.gov/vote. Results will not be finalized or official until after canvass is completed."

The pre-canvass and canvass meetings cap a dense procedural week that began immediately after polls closed March 3. The board met March 4 at 1:00 p.m. to review photo ID exception forms, and the State Board of Elections selected sample audit precincts that same day under authority granted by GS: 163-182.1(b)(1) and 163-182.2(b)(2). An absentee board meeting followed March 6 at 1:00 p.m. The sample audit, an in-person process open to public observers, took place Monday, March 9 at 10:00 a.m.; county materials noted that no livestream of the audit was available.

A board meeting originally scheduled for March 10 at 3:30 p.m. to handle any ballot challenges was canceled. The county's meeting listing stated plainly: "This meeting was scheduled to enter ballot challenges as needed and has been canceled."

Both tonight's pre-canvass and Friday's canvass are open to the public. Attendees may appear in person at the basement of 35 Woodfin Street or join virtually through a link posted on the county's meetings page. The board's full schedule, revised January 13, 2026, carries the standard notice that all dates and times are subject to change and is maintained at buncombenc.gov/vote. Questions can be directed to Buncombe County Election Services at 828-250-4200.