WHITEVILLE, NC — Early voting for the 2026 general election is in full swing across Columbus County, with local voters turning out in steady numbers during the first full week of one-stop voting.
Data from election officials shows that a total of 4,715 early ballots have been recorded in Columbus County so far. Through the first full week ending Friday, October 23, local voters cast 4,601 in-person ballots across the county’s five designated one-stop polling sites.
Daily turnout remained consistent throughout the week, peaking on Thursday, October 15, when 722 voters cast their ballots. Turnout during the latter half of the week stayed strong, with 600 ballots cast on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 625 on Thursday, Oct. 22, and 635 on Friday, Oct. 23.
Friday Polling Site Breakdown
On Friday, October 23, the 635 total ballots cast were distributed across Columbus County’s five one-stop polling locations as follows:
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Board of Elections Office (Whiteville): 303 ballots
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Ransom: 109 ballots
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Tabor City: 108 ballots
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Chadbourn: 93 ballots
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Fair Bluff: 22 ballots
Voter Registration & Demographics
State election records show Columbus County has 37,521 registered voters eligible to participate in this election cycle.
Unaffiliated voters make up the largest block of the county’s electorate at 13,986 registered individuals, followed by registered Republicans at 11,929 and registered Democrats at 11,472. Libertarian voters account for 124 registrations, while 10 voters are registered with the Green Party.
Early Voting Schedule & Voter ID Guidelines
One-stop early voting continues weeknights through Friday, running from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily.
The final day for early in-person voting is Saturday, October 31, 2026, when polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. There is no Sunday early voting scheduled in Columbus County.
Registered voters may cast their ballot at any of the county’s five early voting sites during the one-stop window. On Election Day—Tuesday, November 3—voters must cast their ballot at their designated home precinct.
Under North Carolina law, all voters must present an acceptable photo ID when voting in person. Free voter ID cards are available at the Columbus County Board of Elections office in Whiteville through the end of the early voting period on October 31.
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