Lenoir, Greene early voting disputes head to State Board

The State Board of Elections will decide non-unanimous early voting plans later this month. Jones County is not listed among the disputed plans.

Early voting plans for Lenoir and Greene counties are among those headed to the N.C. State Board of Elections after local boards failed to reach unanimous agreement on their schedules for the 2026 general election.

The State Board is accepting public comment on non-unanimous county early voting plans through Aug. 17. The board is scheduled to meet Aug. 20 to consider and finalize disputed plans.

The issue affects 20 counties statewide, including Lenoir and Greene in eastern North Carolina. Jones County is not listed by the State Board among counties with non-unanimous early voting plans.

Under North Carolina law, county boards submit early voting plans for approval before each election. If a county board unanimously approves a plan, the State Board generally reviews it as part of the regular approval process. If a county board cannot reach unanimous agreement, competing plans are sent to the State Board, which makes the final decision.

The 2026 in-person early voting period begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

According to the State Board’s list of disputed plans, Greene County’s disagreement involves Saturday and Sunday voting. Lenoir County’s disagreement involves which early voting sites to use.

The State Board’s public comment portal allows residents to select their county and submit comments before the Aug. 17 deadline. Submitted comments will be compiled and provided to the State Board before its Aug. 20 meeting.

The final decisions will determine where and when voters in Lenoir and Greene counties may cast early ballots this fall. During early voting, voters may cast a ballot at any approved early voting site in their county. Eligible voters may also register and vote at the same site during the early voting period.

Jones County voters should look separately for their county’s approved early voting schedule once the State Board finalizes plans statewide.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.