Election Day live updates recap: Final results are in for Buncombe County
It's Election Day in North Carolina and across the country. People will be closely watching the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The N.C. governor's race between Attorney General Josh Stein and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has been named one of the most interesting in the U.S. And there are plenty of local races to hold our interest.
It's also the first election held after Tropical Storm Helene unleashed devastation and destruction in Western North Carolina, changing the landscape as well as some polling places.
The Citizen Times will be with you all day, bringing updates on what's happening in today's election. We have reporters at polling sites around the county, talking to voters and sending observations. We'll report on developments throughout the day.
Polls in North Carolina open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. People who are in line at 7:30 will be allowed to vote.
Here is some general information:
Here are some things to know about key races:
9:40 p.m.: Final results for Buncombe voters
Here are Buncombe County voting results with 100% of precincts reporting.
President: Harris 60.3%, Trump 38%
U.S. House District 11: Rudow 59.9%, Edwards 40.1%
Governor: Stein 66.6%. Robinson 29.1%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners Chair: Edwards 59.6%, Duncan 40.4%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners District 1: Horton 58.1%, Benjamin 41.9%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners District 2: Wells 54%, O'Connell 46%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners District 3: Sloan 100%
Asheville City Council (three seats): Turner 22.7%, Roney 21.3%, Hess 19.6%, Frazier 15.4%
Asheville City Schools Board (three seats): Acebo 28.2%, Warren 25.9%, Seiburg 24.1%, Young 21.1%
Buncombe County Schools Board At-Large: Martin 50.9%, Weinert 34.5%
Buncombe County Schools Board District 1: Franklin 60.9%, Parks 38.7%
Buncombe County Schools Board District 2: Cheatham 39%, Hargrove 31.2%, Ratliff 29.5%
Buncombe County Schools Board District 4: Churchill 61.4%, Fulton 38.2%
State Senate District 46: Daniel 53.2%, J. Ager 46.8%
State Senate District 49: Mayfield 67.9%, Sluder 32.1%
State House District 114: E. Ager 59.5%, Higgins 40.5%
State House District 115: Prather 51.1%, Smith 48.9%
State House District 116: Turner 100%
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Green 62.5%, Morrow 37.5%
Supreme Court Associate Justice: Riggs 62.5%, Griffin 37.5%
Asheville Housing Bonds: Yes 70.1%
Asheville Transportation Bonds: Yes 74.4%
Asheville Parks & Rec Bonds: Yes 77.3%
Asheville Public Safety Bonds: Yes 72.1%
Constitutional Amendment Citizens-Only Voting: For 67.7%
8:45 p.m.: Early results are in
Here's are some Buncombe County early voting results mixed with Election Day results based on 94,746 tallied votes and 70% of precincts. Remember that 116,000 votes were cast early.
President: Harris 66.5%, Trump 31.6%
U.S. House District 11: Rudow 66.1%, Edwards 33.9%
Governor: Stein 72.4%. Robinson 23.4%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners Chair: Edwards 65.9%, Duncan 34.1%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners District 1: Horton 62.3%, Benjamin 37.7%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners District 2: Wells 59.4%, O'Connell 40.6%
Buncombe Board of Commissioners District 3: Sloan 100%
Asheville City Council (three seats): Turner 22.9%, Roney 21.6%, Hess 19.6%, Frazier 15.3%
Asheville City Schools Board (three seats): Acebo 28%, Warren 26%, Seiburg 24.2%, Young 21.1%
Buncombe County Schools Board At-Large: Martin 52.5%, Weinert 31.9%
Buncombe County Schools Board District 1: Franklin 62.4%, Parks 37.2%
Buncombe County Schools Board District 2: Cheatham 39.3%, Ratliff 30.4%, Hargrove 29.8%
Buncombe County Schools Board District 4: Churchill 61.1%, Fulton 38.4%
State Senate District 46: Daniel 51.8%, J. Ager 48.2%
State Senate District 49: Mayfield 72.3%, Sluder 27.8%
State House District 114: E. Ager 63.3%, Higgins 36.7%
State House District 115: Prather 57.1%, Smith 43%
State House District 116: Turner 100%
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Green 68.8%, Morrow 31.3%
Supreme Court Associate Justice: Riggs 68.8%, Griffin 31.2%
7:30 p.m.: Polls are closed; what to expect next
The state Board of Elections offers a timeline of when results will be reported tonight. Here are some highlights:
7:30 p.m.~9 p.m. absentee-by-mail votes that have been approved by a county board of elections are reported in the Results File (aka the “Media File”) and on the Election Results Dashboard.
8 p.m.~9:30 p.m. early voting results are reported.
In-person early votes and absentee by-mail votes that have been approved by a county board of elections (CBE) are reported in the Results File (aka the “Media File”) and on the Election Results Dashboard.
Data refresh every 5~10 minutes.
8 p.m.~9:30 p.m. precinct officials hand-deliver results to CBEs.
8:30 p.m.~midnight precinct results are reported.
Results appear in the Results File and on the Election Results Dashboard.
Data refresh every 5~10 minutes.
7:20 p.m.: 'Love the babies,' paying 'double for everything' lead to Trump votes
Hendersonville Times-News reporter Deirdra Funcheon reports from Hendersonville:
Julie Eaton, 54, said she was voting for Trump because “I just love the babies, and I feel like they have a right to live.”
Kristen Sikorski, Assistant Recreation Director in Pisgah Ranger District, wouldn’t say who she was voting for but noted that government priorities change under different administrations.
“One might really, really care about prescribed burning and reintroducing natural fire to the landscape. Another might really care about the timber industry, another might really care about the recreation side of things and getting public lands accessible to more people.”
Robert Chermela, an 82-year-old retired mechanical engineer, said he was voting for Trump because of inflation under President Biden. “I love paying double for gas, double for food, double for everything, “ he said sarcastically.
But he almost didn’t vote at all.
‘I wasn't going to come if they kept texting me to vote,” he said. “ I just didn't know how to answer back and say, one more call and I'll never come see you.”
7:10 p.m.: Democratic-leaning voters in Hendersonville
More dispatches from Hendersonville by Times-News reporter Deirdra Funcheon:
Zip line tour guide Ben Holliday, 28, said he was voting mostly for Democrats, and one Libertarian. The environment was a top priority for him.
“I have a degree in natural resource management, and so this is a very special part of the country when it comes to the environment, and that environment just took a very large hit with the recent storm.”
Mortgage lender Jessica Dupuis, 34, said reproductive freedom was important to her, so she voted for Kamala Harris.
“Watching the Republican Party devolve into a fascist party. The last few years, I've studied a lot of what drove Germany into a fascist state, and it's very alarming to see that repeated in a country where, you know, people would ask, how does that sort of thing happen? And I think we've seen how it happens.”
7 p.m.: What would it take for Democrats to flip the NC legislature?
Sarah Gleason, who covers the statehouse for the Citizen Times, discusses this qurestion:
The outcome of state legislative races could impact the power balance in the North Carolina Senate and House, signaling which party controls legislation.
In 2023, Rep. Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg, switched parties, effectively securing supermajorities in both chambers and giving Republicans enough power to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. Republicans were then able to pass more funding for the Opportunity Scholarship and a tighter abortion ban. Their power in numbers gave them the ability to push an agenda without compromising with Democrats, legislators told the StarNews.
Democrats only need to win one seat in each chamber to bump Republicans down from a supermajority. Although all of the 170 General Assembly seats are up for election, Democrats set their sights on a few key races they see potential to win. Those include the matchup between Democrat David Hill and Republican Michael Lee in New Hanover County and Democrat Lindsey Prather and Republican Ruth Smith in the Buncombe County area.
6:55 p.m.: Hendersonville City Council reelection bid
Deirdra Funcheon of the Hendersonville Times-News reports from Hendersonville:
Gray skies hung over Hendersonville High School Tuesday afternoon, but outside, Hendersonville city council member Jennifer Hensley was full of energy as she hugged supporters and talked about her campaign to be reelected to the Hendersonville City Council.
The office is nonpartisan, but Hensley said, “I’m like, 68% conservative. When I take all the quizzes, I just lean a little right.” She described herself as fiscally conservative.
She said a top issue was rebuilding after Tropical Storm Helene, which destroyed about 2,000 homes.
“I'm more pro-development on the side of like, creating affordable housing, building density, doing infill development. Those are the only ways that we accomplish something more affordable. There's just no other way to do it.’’
Hensley said she sits on seven subcommittees for the city and offers a word of warning to anyone considering running for office: “It's not one meeting a month; it's like 15.”
The chief judge who oversees the polling place, Courtney McGlasson, said everything was going smoothly and about 300 people had voted there by about 4 p.m. She has been working on elections for 18 years.
“This is something my mom did whenever I was a child, and I remember going and visiting her, and I just thought it was so fascinating,” she said.
6:30 p.m.: When do polls close?
We're coming down to the wire on Election Day 2024. There's just one hour before polls close in North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. Voters who are in line by 7:30 will be permitted to vote.
Because of some technical snags, voting will be extended 30 minutes to 8 p.m. in Burke and Wilson counties. Release of results will be delayed in those counties, but not in the state's other 98 counties.
6:18 p.m.: Abortion rights, doing the right thing cited as reasons for Harris votes
Reporter Jacob Biba was at Lucy Herring Elementary earlier today:
Outside the shared polling site on Tuesday, Caitlin Carroll, 37, a UX researcher in West Asheville, said she cast her vote on Tuesday for Vice President Kamala Harris, citing increased abortion access and “not wanting another Trump presidency” as two reasons why.
John Kilgore, 75, also voted for Harris, he said. Kilgore, a registered Democrat and retired firefighter, said he typically votes based on the Bible’s teachings, throwing his support behind people who “do the right things,” no matter their party affiliation.
6 p.m.: Post-Helene, thinking more about Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor
Sarah Honosky filed this report this afternoon from Woodfin Elementary School:
After casting their ballot in the early evening, both Theresa Welsh and Owen Hempton emphasized the importance of this election, with abortion a top issue.
And when it comes to local elections, it was the District 11 U.S. House of Representatives contest, between Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards and Democrat Caleb Rudow, that was the standout, Hempton said.
The county and city offices are important, he said, but the representatives carrying Western North Carolina's voices to the federal level was a top focus for him.
In the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, Welsh said it highlighted the importance of the nonpartisan race for Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor.
“The whole point is that we’re coming together as a county, as a city ... to help after something devastating like this,” she said.
5:45 p.m.: Pickleball nets separate shared voting site
Jacob Biba was at Lucy Herring Elementary school and sent this report:
Voters who would normally cast their ballots at Crossroads Assembly, a church on South Bear Creek Road near Hominy Creek in West Asheville, instead had to vote a little more than a mile away at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School, after their polling place sustained flood damage from Tropical Storm Helene in September.
On Tuesday, two pickleball nets separated the two voting precincts sharing the elementary school’s gymnasium.
By midafternoon, both precincts had received a steady stream of voters, with precinct 24.1’s temporary polling location edging out host site precinct 15.1 by just over 60 ballots cast. Between the two precincts, more than 500 ballots had been cast.
Steve Rasmussen, chief judge of precinct 15.1, told the Citizen Times no issues resulted from the shared polling site. Elections staff even split a pizza earlier in the day, he said.
5:30 p.m.: 'Make sure Trump' wins
Black Mountain News reporter Karrigan Monk filed this report from Owen Middle School:
Tracy Rollins, 42, voted for the first time at Owen Middle School on Election Day.
She said she “wanted something new” and a “better” president. Rollins said Donald Trump got her vote.
“He was more us when he was in office last time,” Rollins said. “He really helped out the Americans where he could, with COVID and everything. He was really there for everybody.”
A new Black Mountain resident, Rollins has lived in the area for less than a month.
When asked why she chose this election to be her first, Rollins said she wanted to “make sure Trump won.”
“Every vote counts,” Rollins said.
Natalie Schermerhorn, the chief judge at the precinct, said there has been 249 voters on Election Day as of 4:15 p.m.
5 p.m.: Madison County residents turn out the vote
News-Record & Sentinel reporter Johnny Casey filed this dispatch from North Marshall.
Bobby Ray, 37, is a poll worker at the North Marshall precinct, located at the Madison Early College High School.
According to Ray, the number of early voters in Madison County was at an all-time high mark this year.
Madison County Republican Party Chair Patrick Ward said Nov. 5 that 9,990 of the 17,600, or 57%, of registered voters in Madison County had voted early.
In the 2020 election, there were 8,774 out of 16,025, or 55% of registered voters who voted early.
In the 2020 election, 1,727 Madison County voters used absentee ballots.
Ward said he was optimistic about the Republican candidates’ chances of winning in Madison County, including incumbent Board of Commissioners Chair Matt Wechtel and Vice Chair Michael Garrison.
“I think the Republicans are going to sweep Madison County,” Ward said. “I think we’ve been pretty consistent in doing that since 2020.”
4:55 p.m.: A split-ticket ballot
Citizen Times reporter Sarah Honosky reported from Tempie Avery Montford Community Center:
Daniel Plotkin, 36, was a true split-ticket voter, and said he cast his ballot for Republican Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, Democrat Josh Stein for governor and, locally, supported Sen. Julie Mayfield, a Democrat, and Asheville City Council member Kim Roney for reelection.
"I just wanted to let my voice be heard. I voted four years ago and it was heard, but my candidate didn't win, so hopefully that changes this year," he said.
"This year, though, I kind of voted mix and mix."
Plotkin said the economy was his top issue.
4:38 p.m.: Buncombe voting update as of 4 p.m.
From a news release from Buncombe County:
The latest 4 p.m. numbers show that 25,412 people have voted in Buncombe County on Election Day. This 4 p.m. voter count exceeds 2020 numbers, when the voter count was 19,600, but is lower than the 2018 numbers, when 38,500 voters cast their ballots on Election Day.
A breakdown of how many people voted today at each precinct can be found here.
Two locations with the highest turnout include Pisgah Elementary School with 888 voters and Liberty Baptist Church with 829 voters. Those who haven’t voted yet can check the wait counts here.
4:25 p.m.: 1st-time voter talks state Supreme Court, schools superintendent
Deirdra Funcheon of the Hendersonville Times-News reports from Fletcher.
Nineteen-year-old Owen Ruiz is a college student studying nursing. A first-time voter, he voted for Kamala Harris, partly because he was offended by a controversial joke calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” made by a comedian at a Trump rally last week.
“One of the big people I felt most important to vote for was Allison Riggs,” Ruiz said, referring to the candidate for the North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat Six.
“I really loved her campaign and who she is as a person. I love her stance on the statute of limitations. I love her court cases on neglect and abuse,” Ruiz said. He also expressed strong support for Maurice “Mo” Green, running for state superintendent of public instruction.
At a booth staffed with Democratic volunteers, retired teacher Janice Goode, who gave her age as “70s,” said she supported Democrats “mainly because their views on health care for everybody.”
Steps away, at a booth of Republican volunteers, retired trucker Gordon Fraser, 63, said, “I believe in making America great again. My position is, let's get industry back in our country, instead of contracting it overseas. And we can make it green, so we could set a new example. [If] we can make America great, the whole planet’ll be great.”
4:17 p.m.: Vote for Trump in 'most important' election
Johnny Casey reports from Madison County:
Gerry Drake, 68, of Marshall, said he feels this is the most important presidential election yet.
This year marked his third consecutive presidential election in which Drake has voted for Donald Trump.
“I’ve got a track record of supporting Donald Trump,” he said. “I really and truly think he was cheated the last time. That’s just my personal opinion. But this time I think he’s hit a home run.”
According to Drake, his first vote in a presidential election after being registered to vote was for Jimmy Carter. He said he voted for Bill Clinton, but has voted Republican ever since.
"My grandparents raised me, and my Papa used to say 'the Democrats were for the working man,' but I don't think that way anymore. It's a different ball of wax now, and I think if he was here, he would agree with me."
4:10 p.m.: Women's rights, trans rights lead voters to Harris
Reporter Will Hofmann talked to voters in East Asheville:
At the Johnston Elementary polling site, East Asheville resident Alisha Rhom, 24, came out to vote on Election Day to make sure that her voice was heard. Before moving to East Asheville, she felt a social pressure to not vote in previous elections, but this time it's different, she said.
"Coming up on this election, I didn't want that fear to restrict me," Rhom said. "If anything, it encouraged me to go out and vote anyway."
Thinking about her friends and members of her community, one of her primary concerns is transgender rights. She voted in part to "be there for the trans community."
"I think Kamala Harris is probably the best option," Rhom said, feeling that the vice president has "more people at heart" than Trump.
Shortly after Rhom entered the polling site, East Asheville resident Carl O'Bey, 59, made his way back to his car. He said that the most important element of this election was "women's rights" – in reference to the right to choose. He had cast his ballot for Harris, but also expressed that he was excited about the bond issues which will fund citywide housing, transportation, public safety and parks projects in $20 million slices.
"All of them are for a good cause, to be honest with you," O'Bey said. While he said he doesn't like increased property taxes, he felt the GO Bonds would be an effective tool "especially in lieu of what's happened," in reference to the devastating damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene.
Another voter, Elona Pacolli, 28, also said that women's rights were her primary reason for turning out to the polls. It was her first time voting "in a few years" and she casted her ballot for Harris.
"I just want to see better change," Pacolli said.
4:05 p.m.: Hoping to 'put this country on a saner course'
Reporter Sarah Honosky filed this earlier this afternoon from Tempie Avery Montford Community Center.
Andrew Lawler, 63, of Montford said it was a "critical election" at all levels, be it local, state or federal.
With him was Mahan-Kalpa Khalsa, 75, who had also cast a ballot that day.
Of what brought him out, Khalsa said, simply: "Democracy."
Lawler said his vote was an opportunity not only to have his voice heard, but to "put this country on a saner course, to ensure that women's voices are heard, to support the gay community that we are a part of, to ensure that Asheville invests in the future through bonds."
"And also to prevent somebody very dangerous from becoming governor of the state," he said.
Locally, he was excited to support Kevan Frazier, running for Asheville City Council, pointing to his stance on the city's needs pertaining to housing, downtown issues and infrastructure, like the water system.
Frazier was also stopping through Tempie Avery that afternoon, handing out fliers and speaking with voters.
3:59 p.m.: Steady pace of voters in Fletcher
Deirdra Funcheon of the Hendersonville Times-News reports from Fletcher.
Outside of Fletcher Town Hall, Keith Reed, a member of the Fletcher Town Council, greeted voters with a smile, even though he had no opponents in his effort to be reelected to represent District Two.
A worker at a truck shop, he is a Republican, but said, “I don't have a personal agenda. I like to reach out to people that come through and find out what their concerns are and see if it's something I can help them with.” He said the town’s biggest issue right now is “getting our park up and running after the hurricane.”
Jennifer Bryant, who as the chief judge overseeing the precinct, said everything was “going fine.” A steady trickle of voters streamed in and out of the building midday. There was no wait to vote.
3:43 p.m.: Quiet but steady at West Asheville Library
Reporter Jacob Biba send this dispatch.
Before polls opened at the West Asheville Library on Haywood Road Tuesday morning, more than 30 voters lined up in the light, drizzling rain. Later that day, just after 2 p.m., 276 voters had cast their ballots, according to the precinct’s chief judge, Beth Salman.
Turnout, so far, has been quieter than during the early voting period, Salman said, when lines sometimes snaked around the library.
But a steady stream of voters, like Lucinda Fair, continued to arrive at the West Asheville Library on Tuesday afternoon.
Fair, 43, told the Citizen Times she cast her ballot so her “voice could be heard.” A manager at a local cleaning company, Fair said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris because she wanted someone in the White House who cared about the well-being of North Carolina -- specifically its schools and roads.
Artis Moore, 47, a registered Democrat, who tried to cast his ballot at the West Asheville Library said the state of the economy motivated him to come out on Election Day.
But like a few other voters, he arrived at the wrong precinct. On Tuesday afternoon, Morris was headed to Johnston Elementary School on the other side of Patton Avenue, where he planned to vote for former President Donald Trump.
Morris, a Navy veteran, described Harris as “shaky” on the economy and immigration. With inflation and the price of food top of mind for Morris, he believed Trump could provide more economic stability.
“It’s always about the money,” Morris said.
3:35 p.m.: Women's rights and environment lead to Haris vote
Deirdra Funcheon of the Hendersonville Times-News reports from Mills River.
Rachel Bennett, 44, and Carl Bennett, 46, were in line at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. They said they would be voting for Democrats. The couple has two daughters, age 19 and 20.
“My number one reason is the environment — and women’s rights,” said Carl.
“I’m very excited to vote for the new insurance commissioner, because of what’s going on with insurance after Helene,” said Rachel. She was also concerned about the state agriculture commission and thought the Democratic candidate (Sarah Taber) would support small farms.
3:15 p.m.: Voter turnout so far
Buncombe County sent a news release updating voting progress so far.
As of 2 p.m., 21,154 voters have turned out across Buncombe County. At 2 p.m. in 2020, the county's voter count was 12,498. You can see a breakdown of how many people voted today at each precinct here.
So far, Pisgah Elementary School has experienced the highest voter turnout with 720 voters followed by Liberty Baptist Church with 701 voters. Those who haven’t voted yet can check the wait counts here.
“We are thrilled to see so many people turning out, and we’ve heard from our poll workers that lines are moving smoothly,” Elections Services Director Corinne Duncan said in the release.
3:10: Dancing for Harris
Will Hofmann reports from Johnston Elementary School
Though the rain has eased up in East Asheville, voters are still slowly trickling in. Only 200 people had voted at the site as of 2 p.m., poll worker Bonita Harrell said, noting that Election Day has been much slower than early voting. Early voting saw record-turnout in N.C.
As she made her way out of the Johnston Elementary School polling site East Asheville resident Sandra Stillwell, 76, said that she was "better than blessed" after voting. She had just cast her vote for Vice President Kamala Harris – someone she hoped would become the first Black female president.
"We're going to make history. I hope!" Stillwell said as she proceeded to break out into a short dance.
3:05 p.m.: Knocking on doors leads to a vote
Karrigan Monk, of Black Mountain News, reports from Black Mountain.
Elaine Percival, 84, is a first-time campaigner. She said she has always wanted to participate and “was particularly not going to miss this one.”
“This election is so very important,” Percival said. “I’m just going to be devastated if Kamala doesn’t win.”
She said she could not find “one redeeming feature” about Donald Trump and that he has caused “division” in the country. Percival said she thinks Harris would bring “unity.”
“I think she brings hope and a promise,” Percival said.
For state elections, she said Josh Stein, Rachel Hunt and Jeff Jackson got her vote.
In the Black Mountain Town Council race, Percival said one of her votes went to Rick Earley because he went door-to-door campaigning.
Earley, who was at St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain with Percival, said he has heard this campaign strategy was “effective.”
“I knocked on 1,200 doors,” Earley said. “If the storm hadn’t have come, I would have knocked on 2,400 doors.” Earley said when he went around to residents, he was asking what they wanted to change about Black Mountain.
2:55 p.m.: 'Party of common sense'
Deirdra Funcheon of the Hendersonville Times-News reports from Mills River.
A drizzling rain did not deter voters at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, where problems with a printer were causing delays. Before noon, a line of about 20 or 30 people trickled out the door, and it was taking people about 45 minutes to vote.
Burt Leiman, 70, a volunteer with the Henderson County Republican Party, was handing out conservative voter guides but said “most people seem to already know who they’re voting for.”
Joanne Leiman, who gave her age as “70s,” said the voting process seemed “more chill now” than in 2016, when there had seemed to be a lot of animosity. “I was Democrat most of my adult life,” she said, but she switched to the Republican party when she began earning money, having kids and being concerned about finances. She called it “the party of common sense.”
2:35 p.m.: Stronger abortion laws vs. defending democracy
Will Hofmann reports from East Asheville earlier this afternoon.
David Certan, 27, voting at Haw Creek Elementary, cited one issue – abortion and a woman's right to choose – as being his primary voting issue, calling it "huge," and expressed that he was in favor of stricter policies regarding a woman's right to choose. His second issue was immigration, where he expressed that he believed Trump's immigration policies between 2017 and 2021 were better than Harris'.
"As of right now, I just voted for every Republican," Certan said.
Erin Dittrich was entering the polls as rain continued to come down. She said that her motivation to go to the polls make sure that Trump is not reelected. She expressed that while she tends to lean toward Democratic candidates, the primary issue on the ballot in 2024 is "defending our democracy."
She cast her ballot for Harris. "I always vote, but I definitely want to make sure Trump does not win," Dittrich said.
2:15 p.m.: Freedom or socialism
News-Record & Sentinel reporter Johnny Casey sends this from Madison County.
Aimee Pearson volunteers with the Madison County Republican Party.
Pearson said she's interested in both the local county commissioner and school board elections, as well as the presidential election, but said she felt "the choice couldn't be more clear," in the presidential election in her view, as she supports Donald Trump.
"You can have freedom or you can have socialism. You pick," Pearson said.
"I find it difficult to understand, why they think that that woman is qualified to do anything, is beyond me. So I don't get it."
1:50 p.m.: Security, economy and the Bible - a vote for Trump
Black Mountain News reporter Karrigan Monk sent this reporter earlier this afternoon.
Chuck Smith, 68, said he voted for Donald Trump based on the issues of security for the country and the economy.
“I voted for a candidate that I think would support my religious values which are based on the Bible,” Smith said.
Smith said while he has not seen as much support as he would like from the government when it comes to Tropical Storm Helene relief efforts, he said it did not impact his vote. He said he wasn’t sure which presidential candidate would be able to help more.
“I don’t think the political climate had much to do with helping us,” Smith said. “I saw a lot of churches, good people, sending supplies coming in here that weren’t affiliated with the government.”
1:44 p.m.: A vote against the 'big orange guy'
Citizen Times reporter Will Hofmann was at Haw Creek Elementary this afternoon.
A drizzle of rain is falling in East Asheville as voters made their way into the Haw Creek Elementary School polling site. The pitter-patter of the rain might best describe the day of voting so far: steady, but slow.
Before making his way into the polling site around noon, Jackson Tambor, 30, said the most important issue is making sure the "big orange guy" – Donald Trump – doesn't win.
"The big orange guy has to be stopped," Tambor said, feeling like he "has to" vote for Harris in the election. Neither option, Harris or Trump, is particularly exciting to him, he said, but he planned on voting for the vice president.
"Trump's just awful," Tambor continued.
1:30 p.m.: Thoughts on voting after Helene
News-Record & Sentinel reporter Johnny Casey sends this from Madison County.
Katie Anderson, 40, lives right outside of downtown Marshall, up the hill along Main Street near Walnut Creek Road.
Though her home was not impacted in the flooding from Tropical Storm Helene, one of her cats died in the flooding.
The response she received from her immediate neighbors and fellow community members encouraged her to get out and perform her civic duty, she said.
“This was the first election where I was unsure if I was even going to vote," Anderson said.
Anderson said she voted for Madison County Democratic commissioner candidates Judy Major and Barbara Zimmerman because she felt it would make a bigger impact locally, but added she felt "jaded" heading into this election.
"If it's anyone going to save us, it's going to be my direct neighbor," Anderson said. "When everything was going on at my house with this poor sick cat and not knowing what to do, it was my neighbor there, helping me out, and my other neighbor Frank let me borrow his pick ax to bury the cat in the yard.
"Those are the people who were there helping me out - the people who were there directly closest to us. It's not going to be the president who's bailing us out."
1:15 p.m.: A Swannanoa voter weighs in
Black Mountain News reporter Karrigan Monk sends this dispatch.
At ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa, election workers are reporting 195 voters for the day as of 12:30 p.m.
One of those voters, 25-year-old Sarah McLaughlin said LGBTQ+ and women’s rights brought her out to the polls on Election Day.
“Basically just not wanting to go back in history 50 years,” McLaughlin said. The Swannanoa resident who said she was born and raised in the unincorporated town between Asheville and Black Mountain, said Kamala Harris got her vote for president.
12:55 p.m.: A third-party vote
Ryley Ober reports from Arden.
The flow of voters at New Hope Presbyterian Church was moving slow around noon Nov. 5, after a busy morning at this Arden polling site.
Exiting the building after casting his ballot, Glendon Templeton, 65, said his vote was motivated by the “state of America” and against the “concept of defunding the Constitution.”
Having moved to the Asheville-area about a year and a half ago, Templeton said he’s admittedly not “quite as in tune” with local politics and was focused on the presidential election, where he voted third party.
“When you have to choose the lesser of two evils, you look for the non-mainstay,” Templeton said.
Throughout the ballot, Templeton said he was motivated by his work as a former educator.
“As a former educator, that was a concern to me to make sure that the process of education is still fundamentally sound with what we're attempting to do, meaning, educate our children, not politics,” Templeton said.
12:40 p.m.: Site changes in Henderson County
This is from Citizen Times reporter Iris Seaton.
Like Buncombe County, Henderson County made several changes to Election Day voting locations post-Helene. The changes include:
Precinct AR, formerly located at the National Guard Armory, has been relocated to Hillandale Elementary School, 40 Preston Drive, East Flat Rock NC 28726
Precinct AT, formerly located at Atkinson Elementary School, has been relocated to Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2021 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville NC 28739
Precinct BC, formerly located at the Bat Cave Fire Department, has been relocated to the Gerton Fire Department and Justice Academy, 4975 Gerton Highway, Gerton NC 28735
Precinct HV-3, formerly located at the Whitmire Activity Center, has been relocated to the American Legion Building, 216 4th Ave., W Hendersonville, NC 28739
12:35 p.m.: Steady flow of voters at Land of Sky
Carole Terrell reports from the Land of Sky Regional Council polling site.
Bobby Scott, 36, of Asheville is serving as a volunteer for Buncombe County Democrats at the Land of Sky Regional Council polling site, off New Leicester Highway.
“When polls opened at 6:30 a.m., there was a large group of people for about 15 minutes, then after that it’s been a steady stream,” said Scott. “We’re a small precinct.”
He has not voted yet but plans to vote when he is relieved from his volunteer post later today.
“I will definitely be voting for Caleb Rudow,” said Scott. “I believe he has the interests of all of us in mind.”
12:25 p.m.: Fun on Election Day
Reporter Ryley Ober sends this dispatch from Skyland First Baptist Church.
People inside the polling site at Skyland First Baptist Church are “having a lot of fun,” according to one voter, Jeremy Nighan. While shuffling to his car under a light rain Nov. 5, Nighan said “everyone was smiling and having a good time.”
Another voter, Josh Breneman, 44, had something more solemn to say about what’s at stake in this election, when asked what motivated him to vote: “I think we're at a crossroad. We're taking a turn one way or the other. And it's all hands on deck.”
“I think things are just getting more and more polarized where things are getting difficult to talk about.”
Breneman said he feels we “need some new leadership,” especially locally. He pointed to issues spurring from Tropical Storm Helene, namely Asheville’s water infrastructure.
On the topic of local elects, Brenenman said he picked former Sheriff Van Duncan for the role of Buncombe County Commission chairman.
“He has proven leadership,” Brenenman said. “With the water system and all that BS we just went through, like, we definitely need somebody in there that's going to make some hard decisions.”
Other voters had their minds on the presidential election, including RW Guenin, 76.
When asked what motivated him to vote, Guenin said: “Only voting against Trump, that’s the only thing that matters — and the lieutenant governor.”
“He lies about everything he says; he’s totally crazy,” Guenin said about former President Donald Trump.
12:10 p.m.: How to learn more about Council of State races in NC
Sarah Gleason, who covers the statehouse for the Citizen Times, provides this information.
Besides the presidential race at the top of voters’ ballots, there is a set of candidates up for election who will represent North Carolina in all different policy sectors. The Council of State is made up of 10 offices, and they are a part of the state’s executive branch.
The following races are up for election, and we’ve got voter guides on all of them:
Governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, insurance commissioner, labor commissioner, commissioner of agriculture
Although all of these races are important, many have been watching the gubernatorial and the superintendent of public instructions races closely.
The superintendent of public instruction race is between Democrat Maurice (Mo) Green and Republican Michele Morrow. It has received national attention mainly for Morrow’s provocative rhetoric surrounding national-level politicians, indoctrination in schools and the LGBTQ community. Additionally, one of her policy proposals gained traction too as she wants to perform an “audit” on federal education dollars saying they may have strings attached, according to WRAL reporting.
11:45: What's happening in Skyland
Ryley Ober reports from Skyland First Baptist Church
On a drizzly Election Day in Arden, Jennifer Knox has been greeting voters at Skyland First Baptist Church since 6:15 a.m. Knox said voters were waiting in a line for polls to open this morning, and a steady stream has trickled in throughout the day. The church is a combined precinct Nov. 5, accepting voters for Skyland Fire Department.
Knox, a poll greeter for the Democratic Party, said everything has “gone smoothly,” while passing laughter and casual conversation with Republican poll greeters standing nearby. The only disturbance Knox noted was someone, who did not stop to vote, circling the parking lot to “be irritating” and who “wanted to make sure I knew I was making a bad decision.”
“But these ladies are all Republicans, and the other volunteers that have been here have been very nice,” Knox said.
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller and the county Fire Marshal’s Office swung by earlier in the day, “just to make sure there was no overcapacity,” Knox said.
11:30 a.m.: Asheville infrastructure a key issue
Carole Terrell reports from the Enka/Candler Library.
Kyle Lorton, 66, has lived in Asheville for 18 months, moving here from Maryland. He is a county lead for the GOP and Mark Robinson and says he “is very active in the conservative movement. Politics starts at the community and goes to the top.”
Lorton says the GOP “wants to make Asheville a great place for freedom and conservative views.”
One of the important issues for Lorton is the city of Asheville budget and spending, especially on infrastructure.
“Infrastructure is included but it’s things like sidewalks and we need to have Asheville’s water system be more dependable. Why isn’t every penny going to the water system? We need to bring in new people looking at this and using business principles.”
11 a.m.: Buncombe voting update
Buncombe County reported Election Day progress so far in a news release.
As of 10 a.m., 11,157 voters have turned out Tuesday. You can see a breakdown of how many people voted today at each precinct here.
So far, Liberty Baptist Church has experienced the highest voter turnout with 383 people followed by Pisgah Elementary with 328 voters. Those who haven’t voted yet can check the wait counts here.
10:55 a.m.: A cordial morning in Asheville
Iris Seaton reports from outside of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Asheville.
Volunteers distributed ballots at the edge of ribbons marked "No campaigning past this point."
Democrat and Republican volunteers alike commented on their experiences, with similar sentiments on both sides.
Democrat Susan Barbano said she’d seen more voters interested in Democratic ballots, but regardless of interest, everyone had been friendly.
Republican John Coonan echoed the experience, saying that people had been “fantastic” so far. During his time volunteering at early voting sites, this wasn’t always the case.
“I definitely had some rudeness there. Here this morning, it’s been fantastically friendly,.” Coonan said.
Both volunteers said they had seen a steady flow throughout the morning, though it slowed after 10 a.m. All the same, Coonan saw an uptick in numbers compared to his last time campaigning.
10:35 a.m.: Don't forget the down ballot candidates
Carole Terrell is in the field at the Enka/Candler Library.
John Healy, 80, of Asheville is a member of the Sierra Club and working at a Buncombe County Democratic Party tent providing information. He says environmental issues are key for him.
“There are a lot of people in North Carolina that vote only top of the ticket, and we want to encourage people to look at candidates farther down the ballot and think about environmental issues,” he said.
Healy says the polls at Enka-Candler Library opened at 6:30 a.m. and there was a line of people down the sidewalk and around the corner. At 10 a.m. the line was shorter, but Healy said, “This is the shortest the line has been since 6:30 a.m., but don’t let that fool you.”
10:25 a.m.: Polling sites changed
Because of Helene, 17 polling sites in Buncombe County have changed. Iris Seaton reported on the changes.
9:45 a.m.: Voter ID law will be tested in NC
USA TODAY's Phillip M. Bailey reports in this excerpt from the national live blog.
Democrats in North Carolina fear the state's new voter ID law could deter turnout or result in votes being thrown out from core constituencies: the elderly, students, racial minorities and low-income voters. A lawsuit by North Carolina Republicans, for example, blocked University of North Carolina Chapel Hill students from using their mobile digital IDs to vote after the State Board of Elections approved the use.
All voters are still allowed to vote with or without a photo ID, according to the board, but any voter who cannot show identification must fill out a form explaining why before casting a provisional ballot that is susceptible to being challenged before the final tally is certified.
Matt Mercer, spokesman for the North Carolina GOP, said the state’s record 4.2 million in-person early voting ballots undercuts “radical” Democrat’s criticisms about the law’s impact.
“We trust the voters of North Carolina and their common sense belief that identification should be required,” he said.
9:15 a.m.: A vote for Harris
Iris Seaton reports from Arden.
Michael Lovejoy was hesitant to say who he voted for at the Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Arden at first. After considering for a moment, he explained that his choice for president was Harris.
“I guess I felt like I trusted her a little bit more,” Lovejoy said.
Unlike some locations, the Lutheran Church has seen long lines of voters all morning.
8:55 a.m.: When will results be available?
The state Board of Elections offers a timeline of when results will be reported tonight. Here are some highlights:
7:30 p.m.~9 p.m. absentee-by-mail votes that have been approved by a county board of elections are reported in the Results File (aka the “Media File”) and on the Election Results Dashboard.
8 p.m.~9:30 p.m. early voting results are reported.
In-person early votes and absentee by-mail votes that have been approved by a county board of elections (CBE) are reported in the Results File (aka the “Media File”) and on the Election Results Dashboard.
Data refresh every 5~10 minutes.
8 p.m.~9:30 p.m. precinct officials hand-deliver results to CBEs.
8:30 p.m.~midnight precinct results are reported.
Results appear in the Results File and on the Election Results Dashboard.
Data refresh every 5~10 minutes.
8:30 a.m.: Candler is rocking the vote
According to the Buncombe County wait count tracker, the polling sites in Candler are bustling this morning. Here's how many people are in line in Candler:
Enka/Candler Library: 99 as of 7 a.m.
Enka Middle School: 26 as of 8:23 a.m.
Pisgah Elementary: 50 as of 8:16 a.m.
Liberty Baptist Church: 65 as of 8:06 a.m.
But at Hominy Valley Elementary, nobody was in line at 8:28 a.m.
8:10 a.m.: See the latest around the USA
USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network have thousands of reporters across the country filing live election reports today. Keep up to date on what's happening in key national races with USA TODAY's live coverage.
7:55 a.m.: What's happening at your poll?
Want to see how long the lines are at your polling site? Buncombe County has a wait count tracker that provides information about how many people are in line at each precinct.
For instance, there were 99 people in line at the Enka/Candler Library at 7 a.m. Note that the counts are updated by officials at the polling sites when they have an opportunity to do so.
7:30 a.m.: Early voting numbers
Buncombe County reported that a record 116,000-plus people cast ballots during the early voting period that ended Saturday. That's about 10,000 more voters than during the early voting period for the 2020 general election, and it's more than half of the 217,182 registered voters in the county.
It will be interesting to see how many people vote today. Turnout in the 2020 general election was 78.3% in Buncombe, or 162,139 out of 207,171 registered voters that year.
6:50 a.m.: Stein leads Robinson in polls in governor's race
Sarah Gleason, who covers the statehouse for the Citizen Times, reports.
The contentious and nationally watched race between Republican candidate Mark Robinson and Democrat Josh Stein will come to a close tonight. For weeks, the polls have shown Stein to be the favorite, with some even showing a double-digit lead. Both candidates currently hold office in the state, Stein as attorney general and Robinson as lieutenant governor.
Read about each of them in depth here: Josh Stein, Mark Robinson.
Robinson’s campaign was plagued with negative media attention for his consistent incendiary rhetoric all coming to a head most recently when CNN published an article alleging he made sexually explicit and racially charged comments on a pornography chat board. Robinson has denied those claims and has sued CNN.
Stein, on the other hand, has garnered less attention, but stayed popular in the polls. His ability to keep things about politics, without the flashy personality, is something Anderson Clayton, chair of the state Democratic Party, believes will make him a good leader.
Whoever wins tonight will take over for current Gov. Roy Cooper, who was ineligible to run for reelection after serving two consecutive terms.
6:30 a.m.: Polls are open
Election Day voting begins! Note that some locations in Buncombe County may be different this year. If you want to find out where to vote so you don't accidentally go to the wrong location, go to "revised precinct locations" at buncombecounty.org/Governing/Depts/Election. Affected voters in Buncombe County should also have received mailers informing them of their new voting locations.
You can also use this tool: Enter your name in the N.C. State Board of Election's Voter Search Tool at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.
6 a.m.: Weather check before polls open
Bring an umbrella or a raincoat this morning. The National Weather Service says there's a 40% chance of rain today, mostly between 8-11 a.m., with some fog likely. The high is expected to be 65 under mostly cloudy skies.
Todd Runkle is the trending news editor for the Asheville Citizen Times and also the Carolinas Connect editor. Reach him at trunkle@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Election Day: Buncombe final results, live updates from Western NC
