To appear on the ballot, those wanting to run must submit a notice of candidacy and pay a required filing fee (which varies by office). They must file with the appropriate elections board office. The filing period opens at noon Monday and closes at noon Dec. 19, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.

Even though it’s still 2025, the window for candidate filing to run in NC midterm elections in 2026 will open in December.

North Carolina Board of Elections certifies 2025 municipal elections, excluding two disputed Harrellsville races.

Candidates for federal, state and local offices can file to formally begin their campaigns for the 2026 primary elections on Monday.

North Carolina is among several states where Trump has broken with tradition by directing mid-decade map changes.

A federal court in North Carolina is allowing the state to use a new Republican-drawn congressional map that would help the GOP pick up another seat in the House during next year's midterm elections.

A Republican-driven redrawing of North Carolina’s congressional maps can be used in the 2026 midterm elections, a federal court ruled Wednesday.

State election officials are looking for new ways to comb through the list of North Carolina’s 7.6 million registered voters to make sure they are who they say they are — despite no proof of widespread voter fraud.

A federal three-judge panel on Wednesday allowed North Carolina to use a redrawn congressional map aimed at flipping a seat to Republicans as part of President Donald Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections.