It's officially midterm election day.

In Buncombe County, the polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. + include 80 voting precincts. To find yours, enter your first and last name here to look up your polling place and check out your sample ballot.

Brush up on your midterm trivia

Midterm elections are held every four years and take place between presidential elections.
The first midterm election was held as early as the Civil War.
Voter turnout tends to drop in the midterm. In the 2016 presidential election, 140,014 people in Buncombe County voted, while 87,300 voted in the 2014 midterm election.
Turnout during early voting this election season surpassed early voting numbers in 2014 for Buncombe County.
All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives + 33 seats in the U.S. Senate (about ⅓ of the total seats) are up for election, including 6,665 state positions. 36 states will elect a governor.
In N.C., all seats in the state General Assembly (170 total) are on the ballot this year.

Here’s what’s at stake: races for several key positions in the state + national legislature, including the U.S. House of Representative and seats in the N.C. House and Senate. In fact, all 150 seats in the General Assembly are up in this election.

Other positions open include the State Supreme Court, Superior Court, and District Court + nonpartisan offices including Board of Education positions. A historic race for Buncombe County Sheriff will feature the first black candidate who won a primary race for a major party for that office. And, for the first time since 2002, judges will be listed on the ballot with a political affiliation.

You’ll also see six constitutional amendments on your ballot which will decide issues like voter ID, control of state judicial appointments, state income tax, victims’ rights + more. And since the language can get complicated, we break down each one for you (so you can print this out + take it to the polls with you for reference).

Here’s everything you need to know before you head to the polls.

Dates + details

🗳Oct. 12: Registration deadline for the November election (5 p.m.)

🗳Oct. 17: Early voting begins

🗳Oct. 30: Deadline to request absentee ballot for the November election

🗳Nov. 3: Early voting ends

🗳Nov. 6: Election Day

So what’s on the ballot? We run down everything you could see on your Buncombe County ballot this year, from every constitutional amendment to all of the candidates. ⬇

All ballots will include the 6 N.C. constitutional amendments. Each will be voted “For” or “Against”.

6 constitutional amendments

Amendment to require voters to provide photographic identification to vote (House Bill 1092)
- Voters would be required to present photo identification at their polling place in order to cast a vote. The legislature would decide what forms of identification are acceptable if the amendment passes. The requirement would not apply for absentee voters. No cost estimate was provided regarding implementation or ID requirements. See the summary here.

Amendment to change the process for filling judicial vacancies that occur between judicial elections (House Bill 3)
- Currently, if a judge’s seat becomes vacant before an election, the governor appoints a judge selected from nominees sent by local bar associations. This amendment would shift that duty to the state legislature, which would form a committee and would collect public feedback, then select two or more candidates for the governor to select from. If the governor does not select a candidate, the legislature will make the final decision. The appointed judge would then serve “until the next election following the election for members of the General Assembly” (instead of until the next election) before voters could elect or replace that judge.

Amendment protecting the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife (Senate Bill 677)
- The amendment acknowledges the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife using traditional methods (“traditional methods” are not defined), subject only to laws passed by the General Assembly. The amendment would also establish hunting and fishing as a preferred method of controlling + managing populations of wildlife and would honor the practices as part of N.C.’s heritage. See the summary here.

Amendment to strengthen protections for victims of crimes (House Bill 551)
- These additions and edits to the already existing rights for victims would include being treated with dignity and respect, being present at any proceeding upon request, information about the crime upon request + more. See the summary here.

Amendment to cap maximum state income tax at 7% (Senate Bill 75)
- The current maximum state income tax in N.C. is 10%. This would make the new limit to 7%. The amendment does not reduce taxes, but limits how much the state income tax rate could go up. In times of disaster or recession, additional funds would have to come from cutting core services, increasing borrowing, or raising sales taxes + fees. The state must still balance its budget (rather than borrowing additional funds) to pay debts. See the summary here.

Amendment to establish an 8-member bipartisan Board of Ethics and Elections enforcement and eliminate nonpartisan representation on the board (House Bill 4)
- Currently, the State Ethics and Elections Board is a 9-member bipartisan board. 8 of the 9 members are appointed by the Governor from a selection of nominees from each party, and the Governor appoints the 9th members, who is not from a party. A 2017 bill passed by the legislature reestablished the board as an 8-member board, but the bill was struck down as unconstitutional because it took executive power from the Governor. This amendment would overturn the Supreme Court’s 2017 decision and remove the 9th nonpartisan member of the board. Critics of the amendment note that it could create a 4-4 partisan deadlock issue.

National + State General Assembly Seats

Every seat in the House of Representatives (120 total) and the Senate (50 total) will be up for election – and almost all are contested. The Supreme Court’s decision on gerrymandering means that eventually we'll have revised maps, but they're not in effect yet. Other positions – including nonpartisan + county board roles – will also be chosen. County-specific seats are for Buncombe County.

Buncombe County is split into different districts based on census data for national, state, and local offices. Depending on what part of the county you live in, certain seats + positions will be listed on your ballot. See your individual ballot here (and check out the district maps here), then read on to see who you’ll be voting for. Note: You will only see your own district candidates on your ballot when voting.

Federal Offices

U.S. House of Representatives

The lower chamber of the U.S. Congress. Representatives serve specific congressional districts and are elected for two-year terms.

District 10

Patrick McHenry (R): incumbent – Currently serving seventh term in Congress; Chief Deputy Whip; priorities include oiling drilling to fund alternative sources for energy, establishment of Association Healthcare Plans, rebuilding the economy of WNC.
David Wilson Brown (D): Background in politics + communications; supports voting rights, jobs initiatives, reproductive rights, the right to healthcare (including improving the Affordable Care Act), renewable energy + the Carbon Fee and Dividend Solution to climate change, net neutrality, and access to technology.

District 11

Clifton B. Ingram, Jr. (Libertarian): Fiscally conservative policies, tolerance on social issues, rescheduling + decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, lessening hemp regulations in N.C.
Mark Meadows (R): incumbent – in his third term in Congress after 27 years as a small business owner; priorities include ending dependence on foreign energy, modernization of the military, state- and locally-run education, removing regulations on businesses.
Philip G. Price (D): Nebo resident + small business owner; priorities include healthcare, environment, women’s issues, immigration, promotion of arts + culture, criminal justice reform.

State Offices

N.C. State Senate

The upper chamber of the state Congress, the Senate has 50 members that serve for two-year terms. Senate headquarters are in Raleigh.

District 48

Norm Bossert (D): Supports paying a living wage, healthcare as a fundamental right, expansion of Medicaid, increasing school funding, environmental protections. Worked for 44 years in education + is endorsed by the N.C. Association of Educators.
Chuck Edwards (R): incumbent – Supports reducing business regulation, creating an environment for businesses to move into WNC, supporting parents’ choices in schools for their children, protecting taxpayer interests, supporting an individual’s right to defend him/herself, guided by Christian principles.

District 49

Terry Van Duyn (D): incumbent – Supports common sense gun reform, protecting clean water as a basic resource + not allowing fracking, increasing funding for healthcare (including Medicaid expansion), childcare, and education, pro-transparency in government.
Mark Crawford (R): Supports improving education system, moving away from the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion, and merit-based choices for judge replacement. Has served in the N.C. House of Representatives.

N.C. House of Representatives

The house has 120 members who serve two-year terms and is the lower chamber of the state Congress. Headquartered in Raleigh.

District 114

Susan Fisher (D): incumbent – Supports living wage jobs, environmentally- and locally-friendly business, affordable housing, increasing education funding, access to healthcare, childcare support, clean energy, air and water, sponsored the Appalachian Mountains Preservation Act (anti-mountaintop removal legislation)
Kris Lindstam (R): no information available

District 115

John Ager (D): incumbent – Supports elimination of HB2, Medicare, palliative care + insurance reform, Medicaid expansion, commitment to get to the national average in teacher pay, expansion of broadband, supports climate-driven private businesses + climate solutions
Amy Evans (R): Fiscal + social conservative, supports women in business, closed borders, and the 2nd amendment in its entirety \

District 116

Brian Turner (D): incumbent – Supports clean air + water regulations, funding pollution cleanup from companies (rather than taxpayers) who pollute, Medicaid expansion, increasing funding for education
Marilyn A. Brown (R): supports investing in teacher raises and classroom spending, balancing lessening business regulations against environmental protections, lower taxes for Buncombe County

County Offices

County District Attorney

Buncombe County’s District Attorney acts as the chief prosecutor for a specific region and represents the region + the state in all criminal matters.

District 40
- Todd M. Williams (D): incumbent – D.A. since 2015; experience as a Capital and Public Defender and in juvenile and drug treatment court.

County Board of Commissioners

Commissioners serve four-year terms and serve as both the legislative + executive branches of county government, creating and administering local ordinances. They also oversee county spending + employment.

District 1
- Al Whitesides (D): incumbent – Buncombe County’s first African-American commissioner, supports improving + funding early childhood education, living wage, improving public transit, affordable housing, working with the City to collaborate on a budget.

District 2
- Amanda Edwards (D): executive director of the A-B Tech Foundation with nonprofit experience; priorities include curbing over-development, funding emergency services, addressing the opioid epidemic, expanding diversity and equity in services and workforce + more
- Glenda Wienert (R): Supports improving access to pre-K programming, addressing the opioid epidemic, working to balance County budget + costs, transparency in local government, has experience in for profit + nonprofit sectors as well as education.
District 3
- Robert Pressley (R): incumbent – Supports transparency in local government, education, veterans + the elderly. Former Nascar driver + founder of Celebrity’s Hot Dogs.
- Donna Ensley (D): Nonprofit experience, former chief development officer of MANNA Food Bank; priorities include living wage, environmental protections, educational opportunity, infrastructure improvements + more.

Clerk of Superior Court

In N.C., the Clerk of Superior Court must also be a judge. Responsibilities overseeing family estates, guardianship, name changes, managing Assistant + Deputy Clerks, investing court fees, and filing, processing, indexing + preserving court documents.

Steven Cogburn (D)

Buncombe County Sheriff

Oversees law enforcement, including enforcing court orders, at the county level + is considered the county’s highest law enforcer.

- Shad L. Higgins (R): Committed to public safety, equality + serving the community; background in small business.
- Quentin Miller (D): Current sergeant in the Asheville Police Department; in favor of de-escalation training + deputy support. Miller is the first black candidate to win a major party primary for Sheriff in Buncombe County.
- Tracey DeBruhl (Libertarian): Supports training of officers. Experience in the U.S. Marine Corps. In early September, he was charged with misdemeanor stalking and second-degree trespass in Madison County.

Judicial Offices

N.C. Supreme Court

N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 1
An Associate Justice is any justice on the State Supreme Court other than the Chief (or Presiding) Justice. The state supreme court is the highest in the state and its findings are considered final + binding at the state level.

N.C. Court of Appeals

State Courts of Appeals (also called appellate courts) decide on appeals from district court cases. They do not retry cases, but they do review decisions and arguments from lower courts.

Judge Seat 1

Andrew T. Heath (R)
John S. Arrowood (D)

Judge Seat 2

Judge Seat 3

N.C. Superior Court

The Superior Court hears civil + criminal cases that are not designated to be tried in any specific court. In N.C., the Superior Court hears all felony cases and some misdemeanors.

Judge District 28 Seat 1

Marvin P. Pope (D)

Judge District 28 Seat 2

Alan Thornburg (D)

N.C. District Court

The state District Court hears cases involving civil + criminal charges, as well as juvenile and magistrate issues. Criminal cases are either misdemeanors or infractions (non-jury).

Judge District 28 Seat 1

Ward D. Scott (D)

Judge District 28 Seat 2

Julie M. Kepple (D)

Judge District 28 Seat 3

Patricia Kaufmann Young (D)

Judge District 28 Seat 4

Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith

Judge District 28 Seat 5

Ed Clontz (D)

Nonpartisan Offices

Soil and Water Conservation

This board plans + implements strategies for land use, erosion, conservation, policy + more.

District Supervisor

Buncombe County Schools Board of Education

Provides oversight of local school systems, including budgets, program offerings + more.

Enka District

Max Queen

Erwin District

Pat Bryant

Reynolds District

Cindy McMahon

Need to register?

Here’s what you should know.

In order to vote you must –

Be a U.S. citizen
Be at least 18 years old by the time of the General Election
Be a resident in your precinct for at least 30 days
Not be serving a felony sentence (including probation or parole). If you have completed a felony sentence you will need to have your citizenship rights reinstated before the election.

Not registered to vote? You can register to vote using Same-Day Registration on early voting days from Oct. 17–Nov. 3. You’ll need to bring one of the following items (with your current name and address):

N.C. driver’s license
Government-issued photo ID
A current bank statement, utility bill, paycheck, government check, or another government document
Current college photo ID + proof of campus residency

Can’t make it to the polls? Request + complete an absentee form and email, mail, bring it in, or fax it to your local Board of Elections. Find contact + address information for Buncombe County here.

Election information can feel overwhelming when you look at your ballot, so I’m so excited to have worked on this guide that will make the process easier for anyone voting in the November election. Making our voices and opinions heard is one of the greatest things about our democracy, and I look forward to casting my vote this year alongside my fellow Buncombe County residents.

Here’s that link to your sample ballot (which also shows you your polling place) again.

See ya at the polls starting Oct. 17, Asheville.

– Ali