Nov. 3, 2026 publication
UPDATE: Unofficial results will not be released until 8:15 p.m. tonight instead of 7:30 p.m. after the NC State Board of Elections gave an emergency extension to multiple counties.
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It’s Election Day, and polls close at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Madison County voters will decide who’s in power - and who’s not - locally, and will help decide who will represent them at the state and national levels.
Party chairs David Peeler (R) and Paula Dempsey (D) had these messages for voters:
Peeler: “Exercise your right and privilege in our great country. Vote!”
Dempsey: “Your vote matters!”
So, what happens after 7:30 at all 12 of the county’s polling sites?
Well, 12 media runners, each carrying a thumb drive with voting results from their individual precinct, will arrive here at the Madison County Board of Elections from all over the county.
But before the media runners race off with the results, those interested can get a paper copy print-out with vote tallies.
“With the election media results, election results tape, they’ll come to the Board of Elections office for us to do the upload to the state board of elections,” said Madison County Board of Elections Director Jacob Ray.
So, when will we know the results?
Starting at 3 p.m. today, the early voting machines and absentee/mail-in ballots get counted. Those are uploaded online at 7:30 p.m. on this website, https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/03/2026&county_id=57&office=ALL&contest=0, with results updating as the media runners arrive.
“We’re usually out of here by 9 o’clock or 10 o’clock at night,” said Ray, meaning all the results will be uploaded to the website by that expected time.
“A good thing to remember when you’re looking at results on election night, those are all unofficial,” he said.
“We still have provisional ballots that have to be researched and processed, and the results aren’t finalized until Friday, Nov. 13 at 11 o’clock and that’s a board meeting that’s open to the public,” said Ray.
“So, if anything’s close on Election Night, just know that’s it’s not official. Those results are unofficial. it’s unofficial results that night.”
And then, election season workers may get to take a few days off.
Ray said, “We try to take a few days off, yes, but then again, there might be a recount of the race is so close. We had that back in ‘24 with the Briggs-Jefferson race, so it just depends on how close the races are.”
Sarah: Is there anything you’d like to say to the voters?
“Just go vote,” said Ray. “If you’re in line at 7:30, stay in line, you will be able to cast your ballot on Election Night.
“If you have any questions, you can call us here at the office. Our number here is 649-0731.”
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