The Buncombe County Board of Elections on Oct. 14 approved a staff-recommended early voting plan for the 2026 primary, adopting a network of 10 regular early-voting sites with the option to expand to 11.

The plan, presented by Assistant Director Negi Fox, will open weekday early voting 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and includes weekend hours the board approved per staff recommendation (first weekend 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the mandated final Saturday hours remain 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The board voted to designate the North Asheville Library as the North Asheville site rather than the UNC Asheville (UNCA) campus location, approved South Buncombe Library as the South Asheville site, and added Upper Hominy as an 11th site to serve growing precincts in the west/southwest part of the county. The board approved the plan unanimously and will submit it to the North Carolina State Board of Elections for final review.

Why it matters: the board said the layout balances accessibility for typical primary turnout while recognizing the county’s population growth in certain precincts. Board members repeatedly said larger, higher-turnout general elections will require a different mix of, and larger, facilities.

Staff presentation and board discussion

Assistant Director Negi Fox told the board the proposal had been through public outreach: posted Aug. 19, a public survey open through Sept. 26 and a preliminary review Oct. 7. Fox said the recommendation is for 10 sites for the primary, with an option to add an 11th site — Upper Hominy — if the board approves it now. Fox reviewed site pros and cons for North Asheville, noting UNCA’s Highsmith Student Union is a larger room but requires navigating campus traffic and access; the North Asheville Library is smaller with limited parking but is widely known in the community.

Board members discussed parking, historic turnout at different sites and the trade-offs of campus versus library locations. Several members praised UNCA’s past performance when an off-campus building was used, but most agreed the library is the better choice for this primary because it is more familiar to voters and easier to access for many neighborhoods.

Actions and votes

- The board voted to select the North Asheville Library as the North Asheville early-voting site. The motion carried by voice vote (ayes). The motion was discussed publicly before the vote.
- The board voted to designate South Buncombe Library as the South Asheville site. The motion carried by voice vote (ayes).
- The board voted to add Upper Hominy as the 11th early-voting site (to supplement the recommended 10). The motion carried by voice vote (ayes).
- The board voted to adopt staff’s proposed hours and weekend dates for early voting for the primary. The motion carried by voice vote (ayes).

Next steps and state review

The board will submit the approved plan to the North Carolina State Board of Elections for final review and approval; staff said they expected no substantive changes but will await the state’s formal sign-off before publicizing final schedules and signage. Staff also noted that site selection for a general election will likely require a different set of locations and additional sites to handle higher turnout.

Ending

Board members asked staff to continue outreach to find larger or alternative sites for general elections, and several volunteered to help negotiate access or parking agreements in North Asheville. The board set the plan’s administrative next step as formal submission to the state board for approval.