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UpdateNorth CarolinaMonday, November 9, 2026

Provisional ballot reviews keep two North Carolina races close

By the Democracy SENTRY deskPublished

Reporting by
WCTI
“Provisional ballot reviews keep NC-03 and House District 9 races within recount range”, Monday, November 9, 2026
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What happened

Provisional ballot reviews are keeping two North Carolina races within recount range: Republican Greg Murphy and Democrat Raymond Smith Jr. are separated by just over 200 votes in the Third Congressional District, while Republican Tim Reeder and Democrat Claire Kempner are in a similarly close contest in House District 9. More than 1,100 ballots remain under review in Pitt County alone, with more than 2,000 additional votes still being examined across the other eight counties in NC-03. County boards are set to certify their results at canvass on November 13.1

just over 200 votes
margin between Murphy and Smith in NC-031
more than 1,100
ballots under review in Pitt County1
more than 2,000
additional votes being examined across eight other NC-03 counties1
What it means in North Carolina

What happens next in North Carolina

County boards canvass at 11 a.m. on the 10th day after the election, November 13, or a reasonable time thereafter if counting is incomplete despite due diligence. The State Board canvasses at 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday after the election and may adjourn up to 10 days for missing county abstracts, which is December 4, 2026.2

Key dates in North Carolina

Election Day in -8 days
  1. Fri, Oct 9 · passed
    Registration deadline
  2. Thu, Oct 15 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Tue, Oct 20 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  4. Sat, Oct 31 · passed
    Early voting ends
  5. Tue, Nov 3 · passed
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
  6. Thu, Dec 10 · 29 days
    State certification

Every date in North Carolina, and who certifies the election

More on this story
North Carolina · Nov 11
North Carolina counties reviewed 650 provisional ballots in close Senate race
Reporting by WRAL
North Carolina · Nov 11
Guilford County scheduled meeting to count provisional and cured ballots
Reporting by Guilford County Board of Elections, canvassing board notices
The answers behind this
How votes are counted and made officialVoting in North Carolina, 2026Who certifies the election in North Carolina, and by when?Do provisional ballots count?

Explore this issue

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Sources

  1. WCTI, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPOFh4amNJUmtjRDFCMTBYLTBidTI4aUdJcjJBQi1mUEY5OW5WdlZFRXpqbExzRjRib3VrbUFEWEdPRTZsd2dCTGZPSy1PSm9hd2pKcDR0WU5sUHBfcU5UMXc0Z1BuVjVoVTdVUVp4dF9GczVaNVhKSUxQTUdGOUVCbXNrMEVSeUhYUWpzMEJkLUg0UUN6dFNYOFBxQ28xOFNrclgzX1hBMHRfOTBTTmdsOUxCUGVhdw?oc=5 · Monday, November 9, 2026
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines

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