North Carolina Extends Voting Hours After Technical Failures
The North Carolina State Board of Elections extended voting hours in Columbus County following a computer system outage during the November 3 general election.
Voters in Kentucky and North Carolina cast ballots on November 3, 2026, for various local and federal races. In Kentucky, residents of Fayette County voted for the mayor of Lexington and the 6th Congressional District seat, with polls closing at 6 p.m. local time.
In North Carolina, the North Carolina State Board of Elections extended voting hours by 45 minutes at the South Williams precinct in Tabor City, Columbus County. The extension followed a temporary computer system outage at the Tabor City Courthouse. While election workers used an emergency backup system to ensure no voters were turned away, the delay prevented the state from publishing vote totals until all precincts closed.
Executive Director Sam Hayes reported additional "technical glitches" in Lenoir, Wilson, Gates, and Hertford counties, citing electronic pollbook confusion and printer jams. In Forsyth County, polls remained open until 7:30 p.m., with officials requiring photo identification. Voters arriving after the 7:30 p.m. deadline were required to cast provisional ballots.
