NC News Oct. 14, 2026

Early Voting Opens Thursday

North Carolina voters can start casting ballots in person Thursday, when early voting opens for the 2026 general election and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Around 370 early voting sites will open statewide.

Voters can use any site in the county where they’re registered and should bring an acceptable photo ID. Eligible voters who missed the registration deadline can register at an early voting site but must show a photo ID and proof of current address.

Durham County will open 10 sites for what its elections director called a “14-inch, two-sided ballot” with races at every level. Wake County will run 18 sites, its most ever for a midterm, and around 25 sites will be open in the Charlotte area.

Statewide, the ballot also carries three constitutional amendments addressing photo ID, the state income tax, and property taxes.

On Election Day, Nov. 3, voters must go to their assigned precinct, and same-day registration isn’t allowed.

Multiple Tornadoes Confirmed in Central NC

The National Weather Service has confirmed at least seven tornadoes in North Carolina from Sunday’s storms, the remnants of Hurricane Isaias. The strongest so far was an EF2 with 115-mph winds near Wallace in Duplin County.

In Central NC, surveyors found at least high-end EF-1 damage in Wake County’s Neuse Crossing neighborhood and in Candor, where one person was rescued from a damaged home.

They also found at least EF-1 damage at Jordan Lake, high-end EF-0 damage in Clayton, and an EF-0 near Harrells in Sampson County. A tornado also struck the Skibo Road area of Fayetteville.

In Raleigh, Erik Grubbs said he heard “that sound you always hear about, a freight train,” then his roof started caving in as he and his dog ducked into a bathroom. Surveys continue, and final ratings are pending.

CMPD Moves to Fire 6 Officers

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department moved last week to fire six patrol officers over racist text messages.

Investigators found the texts while looking into former officer Seth Elliott, charged in July with illegally accessing a government computer after he allegedly used Flock license plate cameras to identify an undercover officer’s car for a drug suspect. One officer reportedly texted colleagues earlier this year that “our texts sound like a clan rally.”

The six, none of whom face criminal charges, are suspended without pay until the city’s Civil Service Board decides whether to fire them. CMPD said it “will not tolerate any behavior” that contradicts its core values.

The president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP, Rev. Corine Mack, wants the officers’ law enforcement certifications revoked. She said she doesn’t want “to paint all of law enforcement with the same brush,” but worries about “bigots in uniform with state authority.”