Primary 2026: What do Outer Bankers’ March 3 ballots look like, and who can vote?
- Corinne Saunders
- 14 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Early voters stand in line in Kill Devil Hills in October 2024. (Photo by Corinne Saunders)
By Corinne Saunders
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The 2026 primary election takes place on Tuesday, March 3, with early voting kicking off next month and absentee voting already underway. Across the Outer Banks, voters’ primary ballots depend on their geographic location and political party affiliation.
Democrat and Republican ballots are available in this primary, meaning that only registered Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters are eligible to cast their votes in partisan races. Unaffiliated candidates can vote on either major party’s primary ballot, but they can only choose one ballot.
Voters registered as members of the Green Party, Libertarian party or other political parties are not eligible to vote in this primary election in Currituck and Dare counties.
In Hyde County, because of a sales and use tax referendum that will not appear on the general election ballot in November, voters of non-major parties can vote on the referendum in the primary via a nonpartisan ballot, according to Hyde County Board of Elections Director Viola Williams. Unaffiliated voters in Hyde County can also choose the nonpartisan ballot, which only features the referendum.
Voters of all party affiliations across area counties will be able to vote in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election.
Early voting dates for the March 3 primary election are weekdays only from Thursday, Feb. 12 through Friday, Feb. 27, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Voters will be asked to present a photo ID when they vote, and more information about this is available at the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. All voters can check their registration, update their registration and see the sample ballot or ballots assigned to them via the same website.
The voter registration deadline for the 2026 primary election is Friday, Feb. 6, at 5 p.m. More details about absentee voting and primary deadlines can be found in the Jan. 8 North Carolina State Board of Elections press release.
Residents who will turn 18 on or before Nov. 3 this year are eligible to register to vote and cast ballots in the primary election, according to Dare County Board of Elections Director Kelly McPherson.
Currituck County
Currituck County had 24,383 registered voters, as of Friday, Jan. 16, according to the Currituck County Board of Elections’ statistical report. These included 10,571 unaffiliated voters, 10,563 Republicans, 3,039 Democrats, 206 Libertarians and four Green Party voters.
For Currituck County voters, there are three primary races on the on the Democrat ballot and eight primary races on the Republican ballot. To view a sample Democrat ballot, click here. To view a sample Republican ballot, click here.
In the 2022 non-presidential primary election, 15.89% of registered Currituck County voters cast ballots, according to state board of elections data.
Dare County
Dare County had 32,391 registered voters as of Monday, Jan. 5, according to the Dare County Board of Elections’ statistical report. These included 14,140 unaffiliated voters, 11,377 Republicans, 6,627 Democrats, 229 Libertarians and 18 Green Party voters.
For Dare County voters, there are two primary races on the on the Democrat ballot and nine primary races on each Republican ballot. The county has been split between two districts for representation in the North Carolina House of Representatives since the redistricting the General Assembly.
To view a sample Democrat ballot, click here.
For residents of Avon, Buxton, Chicamacomico, Frisco, Hatteras, Kill Devil Hills, part of Kitty Hawk, Manteo, Nags Head and Wanchese:
To view a sample Republican ballot, click here.
For residents of Colington, Duck, East Lake, Kitty Hawk, Manns Harbor, Southern Shores and Stumpy Point:
View a sample Republican ballot, click here.
In the 2022 non-presidential primary election, 17.51% of registered Dare County voters cast ballots, according to state board of elections data.
Hyde County
Hyde County had 2,974 registered voters, including 1,182 Democrats, 1,071 unaffiliated voters, 709 Republicans and 12 Libertarians, according to information Williams shared in a Jan. 7 email.
There are two partisan races plus the referendum on the Democrat ballot and five partisan races plus the referendum on the Republican ballot.
Voters on any of the three ballots can mark “for” or “against” the referendum for the “local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter percent (0.25%) in addition to all other state and local
sales and use taxes.”
To view a sample Democrat ballot, click here. To view a sample Republican ballot, click here. To view a sample nonpartisan ballot, click here.
In the 2022 non-presidential primary election, 26.04% of registered Hyde County voters cast ballots, according to state board of elections data.
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