The election isn’t over in NC. And 3 types of ballots have yet to be counted
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Provisional, absentee (incl. military/overseas) ballots remain and could shift results.
- County canvasses meet March 13 to certify; some races may face recounts or challenges.
- Data is hazy, but at least 6,000 provisional ballots are pending.
Election night may be over, but there are still a bevy of outstanding ballots yet to be counted in North Carolina’s March 3 primary contests.
While most winners have already been determined, one of the most closely watched matchups of the year is too close to call, meaning it could all come down to the provisional and absentee ballots yet to be counted.
“While the results of some races are yet to be determined and may generate debate, the administration of the election itself was professional, efficient and free from disruption,” Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a statement. “That’s a testament to the hard work and integrity of our election officials across the state.”
Here’s what to know about the votes yet to be counted:
Why haven’t all the ballots been counted?
The vast majority of ballots are counted on election night, but there are certain types of votes that are allowed to come in later or that may require further research before being officially counted.
There are three main types of ballots that remain outstanding: military and overseas ballots, curable absentee ballots and provisional ballots.
Members of the military and some U.S. citizens who live abroad can have their absentee ballots counted up until March 12 — though they have to have been postmarked by 12:01 a.m. on Election Day.
Other voters who cast mail-in ballots needed to have their votes received by the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day in order for them to be counted.
Some of those mail-in voters will be asked to “cure” their ballots before they can be counted. This happens for a variety of reasons, such as if a voter forgets to include their ID in their mail-in ballot envelope or if they signed a form improperly.
The deadline to cure mail-in ballots is Friday at 12 p.m.
Mail-in voters with curable issues used to have over a week to fix their ballots, but the Republican-controlled legislature shortened the deadline in 2024.
The last type of outstanding ballots are provisionals.
Voters are asked to cast provisional ballots when there is a question about their eligibility.
A provisional ballot is held aside while county election officials conduct research on the voter’s eligibility. If the officials determine the voter is eligible, the ballot will be counted like normal — but it may be thrown out if a voter is found to be ineligible.
A variety of circumstances require voters to cast a provisional ballot, including not showing up with a photo ID, having an unreported address change or voting at the incorrect precinct.
Voters can check the status of their provisional ballot online at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegProvPIN/
When will we have final results?
According to the State Board of Elections, provisional and curable mail ballots will be counted by Friday.
County boards of elections will meet to certify the results at the county canvass on March 13 at 11 a.m.
However, it’s possible that some races may not be able to be certified at that point pending recounts or legal challenges.
The State Board of Elections is scheduled to meet for a final canvass on March 25.
How many ballots are left to count?
We don’t know for sure, as election officials are still uploading data.
According to the State Board of Elections, there are roughly 7,400 pending provisional ballots statewide as of Wednesday evening.
That number isn’t final and could go up as additional counties report their numbers.
But not all of those ballots will be counted, as counties may determine the voters to have been ineligible.
As for the rest of the remaining ballots, the data is hazier.
As of Thursday, the state reported roughly 10,500 outstanding absentee ballots — but that does not mean that all of those votes are actually pending.
That figure includes all voters who requested an absentee ballot, but had not delivered it to election officials by the time the data was uploaded.
Some of those voters may have ultimately decided not to vote or got their ballot in after the 7:30 p.m. deadline — meaning it won’t be counted.
Also, around 1,360 of the voters who requested an absentee ballot ended up “spoiling” it by deciding to vote in-person instead.
What about recounts or runoffs?
Some races may have to go to a recount or a runoff election before an official winner is determined.
In statewide races, candidates can request a recount if their opponent leads by 0.5% or less. For non-statewide races, the threshold is 1% or less.
Recounts would be carried out after the county canvass on March 13 and before the state canvass on March 25.
As for a runoff, otherwise called a second primary, this election can be triggered if no candidate receives more than 30% of the votes in their race.
Could the results be challenged?
Yes, and North Carolina is no stranger to protracted litigation following narrow elections.
State law allows voters to challenge ballots they believe to have been cast by ineligible voters. This would include votes cast by voters who died before Election Day, voters who weren’t properly registered or voters who weren’t U.S. citizens.
Challenges must be filed by 5 p.m. on March 10.
These challenges are first heard by election officials, but they can ultimately end up in court.
In 2024, after Democrat Allison Riggs won the state Supreme Court race by 734 votes, her Republican opponent underwent a six-month legal campaign attempting to overturn her victory. He was ultimately unsuccessful, and Riggs was certified as the winner.
Which races could be affected?
Perhaps the most consequential race of the night was Rockingham Sheriff Sam Page’s effort to unseat longtime Senate leader Phil Berger in the Republican primary.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Page led Berger by just two votes. Outstanding absentee and provisional ballots will almost certainly affect this outcome — as will a likely recount and potential ballot challenges.
This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 1:41 PM.
