On the Record | NC early voting plan eliminates Sunday voting in some counties

Critics of early-voting plans adopted this year by North Carolina Republicans are accusing GOP leaders of discrimination, alleging that they’re eliminating sites and days preferred by Black voters. The allegations framed tense debate among state and local elections officials during a meeting Thursday.

The 2026 midterm elections will be the first major general election since Republicans took control of the state’s election administration. In all 100 North Carolina counties, as well as at the state level, Republicans now control a majority on the boards of election that decide administrative issues such as where to put early-voting sites, when to open those sites and more. Republican appointees have three seats on those county boards. Democratic appointees have two.

The political flip followed passage of a law after the 2024 elections that took election administration power from the Democratic governor and gave it to the Republican state auditor.

In 80 counties, the 2026 early-voting plans passed with unanimous and bipartisan agreement. But in 20 counties, there were fights over proposals — many of which eliminate some voting on Sundays, which data shows is disproportionately used by Black voters.