How to read
NC election results.

Precincts are reporting units.

“100% ED precincts” means every listed Election Day precinct has reported. It does not measure the fraction of all accepted ballots counted. Early, mail, and provisional votes are separate voting-method fields.

NCSBE reporting timeline ↗

Ballots and candidate votes differ.

A ballot can include many contests. Some voters skip an office; a multi-seat contest permits more than one choice. Never add candidate totals across contests to estimate turnout. This reference labels county and statewide ballot counts separately.

A lead is an observation.

A vote gap is the difference between the highest two candidate totals in a single-seat contest. A percentage-point margin divides that gap by the supplied choice-vote total. Neither is a projection, recount determination, or certification.

For multi-seat contests, the margin compares the last available place with the next candidate. Candidate shares are shares of choice votes, not distinct voters.

Canvass follows election night.

County boards review additional eligible ballots and adjustments through post-election processing. This reference continues to label the current feeds unofficial. It never automatically changes certification status when a date passes.

NCSBE post-election procedures ↗ · NCSBE’s dated 2026 canvass announcement ↗

Use the right geographic scope.

County records show votes cast in eligible parts of that county. A district may include several counties or only part of one. Race pages show the full contest; county pages show county breakouts. Legislative summaries use full districts.

Keep the timestamp and source.

The collector’s fetch time is different from a county’s upload or submit time. The briefing note and exports retain the snapshot time and identity. Printed pages retain source context. Refresh a page for a newer collected snapshot.