Buncombe County reports 54,875 ballots in March 3 primary; early voting majority

Buncombe County election officials reported 54,875 ballots were cast in the March 3 primary, with a county breakdown showing 30,777 early votes, 23,267 in-person Election Day votes, and 831 absentee-by-mail ballots. The county listed 80 polling locations for the primary; officials cautioned the totals are preliminary until the board of elections completes a canvass on March 13.

Buncombe County Elections Director Corinne Duncan credited the election staff and volunteers for the smooth operation. “It’s incredible and so rewarding to see this strong voter turnout! Every election, our dedicated poll workers, election officials, observers, candidates, Board of Elections members, staff, public safety professionals and numerous county and city departmental staff take great pride in making sure voters have seamless experiences at our polls, and this year was no different. Election Day is no small feat, but today went really well, and I couldn’t be more proud,” Duncan said in the county’s post-election statement.

Early voting drove the turnout surge. The county’s 30,777 early ballots exceeded early-voting totals from the 2024 presidential primary by roughly 4,600 votes and was described by local outlets as a record for a midterm primary. Buncombe’s voter rolls contain more than 200,000 registered voters; the county’s preliminary total of 54,875 compares to about 59,000 voters in the 2024 primary and roughly 54,000 in 2022.

Election Day snapshots recorded lower in-day volumes than early voting. Live updates during the day showed 3,656 voters had cast ballots by 10 a.m., and 10,778 had voted as of 2 p.m. at in-person precincts. Site-level counts highlighted Tempie Avery Montford Center with more than 100 voters during the day, while Hall-Fletcher Elementary School and Murphy-Oakley Community Center each reported 96 voters in WLOS’s midday snapshots. North Carolina Elections Director Sam Hayes held an 11 a.m. press conference on Election Day, and polls were open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. permitted to vote.

Officials outlined the post-election verification schedule. Buncombe County has a state-mandated sample audit scheduled for March 9 at the Board of Elections office in Asheville; the audit will hand-count ballots in randomly selected precincts and is open to the public. Provisional ballots issued for eligibility questions will be researched during the canvass, and any validated provisional ballots will be added to final totals. The county’s canvass and certification meetings are set for noon on Friday, March 13, when the preliminary totals can change.

Accessibility and voting rules were emphasized in election materials: all early voting and polling sites have machines with large print, contrast, Braille and audio options, and poll workers can provide language assistance where needed. Voters were reminded they must cast ballots at their assigned polling place and that same-day registration is not available for the primary. Final, certified results will be released after the March 13 canvass.