Under state law, election officials must release the number of provisional ballots cast in each county in North Carolina by the day after each election. [Ballot reporting (N.C.G.S. § 163-232.2(b)(3))]
The PDF at the following link shows the number of provisional ballots cast in each county during the 2026 midterm elections.
Read: Provisional Ballots Cast by County for the November 3, 2026, General Election (PDF). (This chart will be updated as additional counties report their provisional ballot numbers to the State Board of Elections.)
A voter may cast a provisional ballot when their name does not appear on the voter registration rolls for the voting location or other questions arise about their eligibility to vote or to vote a particular ballot. Registration Repair voters also cast a provisional ballot when voting in person, as part of the State Board's effort to collect their identifying information.
An in-person voter will also cast a provisional ballot if they are unable to show an acceptable form of photo identification when voting. The voter will cast a provisional ballot and do one of the following:
- Return to their county board of elections office with their photo ID by noon on the fifth business day after Election Day. (For the November 3 election, this date is Tuesday, November 10.), or
- Complete a Photo ID Exception Form at their voting site.
For eligible voters who complete a Photo ID Exception Form, the provisional ballot will be counted unless the county board of elections unanimously determines that information on the form is false.
After Election Day, each county board of elections meets to decide whether to approve, partially approve, or disapprove provisional ballots. If the board determines that the voter is eligible, the provisional ballot is counted. If the voter is eligible for some contests on the ballot but not others, only the eligible contests will be counted for that voter. These ballots will be added to the results during the 10-day canvass period following Election Day.
Unofficial results for the 2026 general election are available on the Election Results Dashboard. County canvass is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, November 13. State canvass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 24.