Candidate Filing Closes, Buncombe Prepares For March 2026 Primary

Candidate filing for the March 3, 2026 primary election closed on December 19, and the list of people who filed is available at buncombenc.gov/vote. Local contests on the primary ballot will include Asheville City Council, Asheville City Schools Board of Education, Buncombe County Board of Education, Buncombe County Commissioners, and the mayoral contest for the City of Asheville. The Buncombe County Board of Elections provided a schedule of key dates to guide residents through the coming months.

Absentee voting will begin on January 12, 2026. The deadline to register to vote is February 6, 2026. Early voting starts on February 12, 2026 and ends on February 28, 2026. The last day to request an absentee ballot is February 17, 2026. Election Day is March 3, 2026, and the county canvass is scheduled for March 13, 2026. Voters can view the current candidate list and other election services at buncombenc.gov/vote.

The primary will determine which names appear on party ballots for the general election and will decide some offices outright in heavily partisan races. For Buncombe County residents, decisions made in these contests will affect local policy on education funding and school governance, land use and development decisions overseen by county commissioners, and executive leadership in Asheville. School board races in particular carry immediate implications for classroom policy, budgets, and district priorities, while the mayoral and council races will shape municipal responses to housing, transportation, and public safety.

Practically minded voters should verify their registration by the February 6 deadline, consider whether to request an absentee ballot by February 17, and plan for early voting between February 12 and February 28 if they prefer in person voting before Election Day. The county website remains the primary source for the most current ballot and candidate information.

This closing of filing signals the formal start of the campaign period for many local races. Residents who want to influence local governance now have clear deadlines and resources to participate in the March primary and in the broader civic debates that will follow.