Where in Mecklenburg County are the most people casting early-voting ballots? See our map
Get informed about elections on the 2026 general election ballot in the Charlotte area with our voter guide, which covers races from US Senate to referendums at the bottom of the ballot.
Read more The Day the Balloon Crashed: The untold story of Charlotte’s hot-air balloon tragedy
More than 70,000 people in Mecklenburg County have already voted early since last Thursday, which is considerably higher than in previous midterm elections in 2022 and 2018.
Registered Democrats have made up a significant portion of the votes cast so far in the county — and in North Carolina — with the U.S. Senate race between Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley leading the ticket.
A registered voter can cast an early ballot at any site during early voting, which runs through Oct. 31. Sites at University City and the South Regional Library on Rea Road have seen the highest numbers — more than 5,000 ballots cast at each location through Monday.
Read more The Hornets traded their longest-tenured players. Can a 23-year-old replace them?
This map shows the early voting locations, color-coded by voting volume. The darker red locations have seen the most ballots cast.
Here’s a list of the early voting sites, ranked by total votes cast as of Monday. The hours of early voting are weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sundays, 1-5 p.m.
The Charlotte Observer Editorial Board issued endorsements in 2026 elections that you can find below.
Read more JD Vance joked protester was here illegally. He says he was born and raised in NC
This story was originally published October 20, 2026 at 10:58 AM.
