Why It Matters
North Carolina’s official certification of federal primary results is facing a procedural delay tied to the state’s ongoing “registration repair” project — a voter registration initiative that has introduced unexpected complications in the final count of ballots cast during the March 2026 primary elections.
The delay affects U.S. Senate and several U.S. House primary races across North Carolina, touching 10 counties and highlighting the administrative complexities that can arise when states undertake large-scale voter registration data reconciliation efforts.
What Happened
The North Carolina State Board of Elections met on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, but stopped short of certifying the results of federal primary races after it was determined that 16 ballots across 10 counties had been improperly discarded rather than partially counted.
State Elections Director Sam Hayes informed the board that those 16 ballots — caught up in the mechanics of North Carolina’s registration repair process — should have been counted toward federal races, including the U.S. Senate and U.S. House primaries. Under North Carolina’s registration repair rules, voters who lack government-issued identification numbers tied to their voter registration records must either supply those numbers or provide a written attestation explaining why they cannot. However, even voters who fail to meet those requirements are still legally entitled to have their votes counted in federal elections. Their ballots are only disqualified for state and local races.
Because the 10 affected counties discarded the ballots entirely rather than counting the federal portions, the board determined that the vote totals must be corrected before certification can proceed. Six congressional district primary results are among those delayed. The board is expected to take up certification at its next scheduled meeting.
“We need to get counts correct and properly authenticated,” said board Secretary Stacy “Four” Eggers IV.
By the Numbers
- 16 — The number of ballots improperly excluded from federal race totals
- 10 — The number of North Carolina counties required to go back and correct their tallies
- 6 — The number of congressional district primary results with delayed certification
- 19.7% — Statewide primary turnout for the March 2026 election
- 25% — Increase in early voting participation compared to the last midterm primary in 2022
Key Race Outcomes Not in Dispute
Despite the certification delay, the outcomes of the major primary contests are not in question. Republican Michael Whatley and Democrat Roy Cooper each secured their respective U.S. Senate primary nominations by comfortable margins, and neither result is expected to change once the 16 outstanding ballots are added to the count.
In another closely watched race, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page’s primary victory over longtime state Senate leader Phil Berger was formally certified Wednesday. That contest drew significant attention after Berger filed election protests, prompting county boards in Rockingham and Guilford counties to conduct extensive recounts and partial hand counts. Berger conceded Tuesday.
Hayes praised the county-level election officials who managed the drawn-out process. “They went into overtime on that election, of course, but it was handled professionally. It was handled according to the law, the way you would expect it to be handled,” Hayes said. Board members echoed the praise for the elections directors and staff in both counties.
Zoom Out
North Carolina’s registration repair project is part of a broader national effort by states to improve the accuracy and integrity of voter registration databases, often driven by federal requirements under the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act. However, efforts to cross-reference voter data with government identification systems have encountered implementation challenges in multiple states, occasionally creating administrative delays or provisional ballot disputes.
The situation in North Carolina reflects a recurring tension between data integrity initiatives and timely election administration, particularly when rules governing which ballots count in federal versus state races require county officials to make nuanced, real-time determinations during ballot processing.
What’s Next
The 10 counties involved must correct their vote tallies and resubmit accurate counts to the state board before certification can proceed. The North Carolina Board of Elections is expected to revisit and finalize certification of the affected federal primary results at its next scheduled meeting.
Separately, the board voted to issue a reminder to county elections board members across the state about appropriate conduct, advising members to refrain from making political statements and to exercise caution with social media activity. The reminder followed a complaint filed regarding the conduct of Jackson County Board Chairman Bill Thompson.
No changes to the projected winners in any of the delayed races are anticipated once the corrected totals are submitted and certified.