North Carolina
North Carolina's top election official asks people at the polls to treat each other with respect • NC Newsline
State Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell asked for peace at the polls during a news conference on Election Day eve.
Early voting turnout for this general election set a record, with more than 4.2 million people voting in person during the early voting period that ended Saturday, according to the state Board of Elections.
Tuesday is voters’ last chance to cast a ballot in the general election.
Brinson Bell said more than 1 million people are expected to vote on Election Day.
There were a few “verbal altercations” during early voting between campaigners or people approaching voters in the polling place buffer zone, she said. Electioneering is not allowed within 50 feet of a polling place entrance.
Brinson Bell called polling place hostility this season “very minimal.”
Board of Elections lawyer Paul Cox said they are looking into cases of reported harassment or intimidation.
Voters should be able to enter polling places without interference, Cox said. Electioneers should not assume the mantle of an election official by aggressively questioning a voter’s eligibility. It’s a crime to provide false information about the voting process, by telling someone falsely that they aren’t allowed to vote at a particular location, for example, Cox said.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday that it planned to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 27 states, including North Carolina. Texas was on the list, but told the DOJ monitors not to come.
The DOJ said in a press release that it will have monitors in Alamance, Wake, and Mecklenburg counties on Election Day.
About 98% of North Carolina ballots are expected to be counted by early Wednesday. After Election Day, county boards must still count absentee ballots they received on Tuesday. They also must research and count, when appropriate, tens of thousands of provisional ballots, Cox said.
Republicans have filed several lawsuits over the last few months challenging voter registration, the counting of absentee ballots not returned in the proper sealed envelopes, and overseas voter qualifications.
Republicans have appealed the trial court and Appeals Court rejections of their overseas voter lawsuit to the state Supreme Court.
Cox described the other lawsuits as being “in a holding pattern.”
In a separate news conference, Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, said students waited in line for hours on Saturday at some of the early voting sites near college campuses.
“That’s a good example of just how enthusiastic voters are here in North Carolina,” he said.
The election protection hotline has received more calls this year than in previous elections, but there has been no systemic voter intimidation, Phillips said.
“There is definitely higher tension, more emotion, particularly among the electioneering that goes on outside the precincts,” he said.
This is the first general election where the state’s voter ID law is in effect.
Some poll workers needed reminders on how people are able to vote provisional ballots if they don’t have IDs, Phillips said.
“All in all, it’s been a pretty good early voting period,” he said.
“We’re going to have a historic record turnout in North Carolina, and that’s a very good thing.”.
The Board of Elections offered some tips for voting this year.
- It’s too late to put your mail-in ballot in the mail. Instead, hand deliver it to your county board of elections office by the 7:30 pm Tuesday deadline.
- People who requested absentee ballots but have not used them can vote in person on Election Day. You can throw away your absentee ballot and don’t need to bring it to the polling place.
- Go to your assigned polling place on Election Day. Your polling place can be found on the state Board of Elections’ Voter Search page.
- Bring an acceptable photo ID.
- Voters who don’t have an ID can meet the requirement by filling out a form explaining why they can’t show one, or by showing their ID at the county elections office by 5 pm Nov. 14. In both cases, voters will fill out provisional ballots on Election Day.
North Carolina
North Carolina Democrats, Republicans share takes on deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina political leaders disagree heavily on what happened during a deadly-ICE involved shooting in Minnesota and what should happen next.
Several videos immediately circulated depicting the moment when Renee Good was shot in her vehicle by an ICE agent. Democrats and Republicans dispute what the video actually shows.
“I’m horrified and I’m disgusted,” Democratic state Sen. Sophia Chitlik said.
Chitlik represents Durham where immigration enforcement agents had a large presence a few weeks ago. She stated the video shows why she and some of her constituents don’t want the agents back.
“Get out,” she said. “We do not want ICE and CBP in our community. Not only do citizens and constituents not want them here, law enforcement doesn’t want them here. Our sheriff’s office, our police department, is very focused on keeping people safe, which is why crime is down. We manage public safety here.”
Matt Mercer, the communications director for the North Carolina Republican Party, stated the video shows the ICE agent acting in self-defense.
“I think what you see is the video speaks for itself,” Mercer said. “You had a federal agent acting in self-defense after potentially being rammed by someone in a vehicle, which is unfortunate. You just hate to see what happened.”
Chitlik disputes the notion that the ICE agent acted in self-defense, saying, “It’s not true. The video shows that it’s not true. [Good] was trying to back up, not move forward, trying to leave the situation. They aggressively pursued her.”
Republicans continue to back the federal agents in Minnesota and across the country, arguing it’s what millions of Americans voted for.
“It’s already shown a lot of progress,” Mercer said. “You’ve had over two million illegals deported or self-deported from our country, which is exactly what President [Donald] Trump campaigned on.”
Some Democrats say immigration enforcement agents don’t make communities safer and instead incite violence fear.
“ICE is not here to keep us safe,” Chitlik said. “ICE is here to police us. ICE is here as an agent of fascism in our cities. They are not welcome here.”
Republicans say the immigration agents aren’t the ones raising tensions.
“Anytime you see people using an iPhone app and saying there’s ICE [in the area], it’s intentionally provoking and stoking tensions,” Mercer said. “You’d like to see people using their right to protest in a way that’s not obstructing the mission these hardworking officers are doing every day.”
CBS 17 has not heard of any plans for the immigration agents to return to North Carolina.
North Carolina
Current State of North Carolina’s Quarterback Room
This offseason has been a complete quarterback carousel for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Following the debacle of last season, it was obvious that North Carolina needed to make significant changes at quarterback.
In Bill Belichick’s first year as the head coach, the Tar Heels compiled a 4-8 record and failed to qualify for bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. There were several factors that led to the lackluster season, but the production and effectiveness from the quarterback position may take the cake, in terms of who should be blamed the most for North Carolina’s failure of a season.
In 11 games, Gio Lopez threw for only 1,747 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions while attempting 6.7 yards per pass. If you don’t possess a quarterback who can operate at a competent level, it is virtually impossible to compete with that player leading the offense.
As mentioned, it was apparent that the front office had to venture out in the transfer portal to potentially find their next quarterback. The Tar Heels did land 2026 four-star quarterback recruit Travis Burgess, but it was not yet known that both Max Johnson and Bryce Baker would enter the transfer portal this offseason.
Not to mention, after recently announcing that he will return to Chapel Hill in 2026, Lopez became the latest quarterback to leave the program, making his intentions of entering the portal known on Monday. On Wednesday, Lopez officially signed with Wake Forest.
Here is what general manager Michael Lombardi and North Carolina’s front office orchestrated to add depth to the quarterback room, and how those moves affect that position.
Assessing the Tar Heels’ Quarterback Situation
With three total quarterbacks leaving the program, North Carolina needed to orchestrate multiple moves to improve the depth at the position. While the Tar Heels landed Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O’Neill, those two additions do not instill a ton of confidence in a room lacking experience and proven production.
In four years, Edwards Jr. has one year of starting, while O’Neill has eight appearances over the last two seasons. The Texas A&M transfer possesses more potential than Edwards Jr., as he still has three years of eligibility remaining. There is more room to grow for O’Neill. We already know what Edwards Jr is: a backup quarterback who could play here and there as a starter.
Meanwhile, Au’Tori Newkirk played sparingly during his freshman season in 2025, and Burgess will be a true freshman in 2026. None of these quarterbacks provide both high potential and experience. They possess one or the other, which could become problematic if no one establishes themselves as the clear-cut starter.
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North Carolina
NC health officials urge vaccines amid measles and respiratory illness surge
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is responding to the most recent measles cases and a spike in respiratory illnesses in North Carolina.
In a meeting hosted by NCDHHS, health officials stressed the importance of staying up to date on vaccines.
Those officials were also asked about the vaccination status of the three kids who tested positive for measles in Buncombe County.
“The three cases in Buncombe County, all three of them, had at least one dose of MMR vaccine,” said Dr. Erica Wilson with NCDHHS.
News 13 reported on Tuesday that the three siblings contracted measles after visiting Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where there’s currently a large measles outbreak.
3 BUNCOMBE COUNTY CHILDREN CONTRACT MEASLES AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA VISIT, NCDHHS REPORTS
The Mission Hospital Emergency Department waiting room in Asheville was listed as a possible measles exposure location on Sunday, Jan. 4, between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Mission Health sent News 13 a statement, saying in part, “Our hospitals work with state and federal health officials on proactive preparedness, and we are following guidance provided by the CDC.”
The hospital provided state health officials with a list of 26 people who may have been exposed to measles on Jan. 4, according to Mission Health.
It’s not just Buncombe County that has reported measles in North Carolina recently.
“One in Polk County and three in Buncombe County. Additionally, there was a measles exposure alert we released in Gaston County. All are connected to an ongoing measles outbreak in Spartanburg County, South Carolina,” said Dr. Kelly Kimple with NCDHHS. “About 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed will become infected.”
POLK COUNTY CHILD CONTRACTS MEASLES AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA VISIT, NCDHHS REPORTS
In the meeting, health officials also addressed the increase in respiratory illnesses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, and influenza.
“Whether it’s the childhood immunizations for things like measles, mumps, and rubella, or even the seasonal immunizations for things like RSV, COVID, and flu, vaccines are a critical and important part of remaining healthy and having healthy communities,” said NCDHHS secretary Dr. Devdutta Sangvai.
Additionally, as News 13 previously reported, there was a chickenpox outbreak in Buncombe County, with four cases confirmed at Fairview Elementary as of Jan. 6.
Health officials are reminding people that it’s not too late to get their seasonal vaccines. There are also additional preventative actions to protect oneself against respiratory viruses.
FLU CASES SURGE IN NC, STRAINING HOSPITALS AND INCREASING DEATH TOLL
“This includes regularly washing your hands with soap and water,” said Kimple.
Kimple suggests avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. She also said to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces that may be contaminated.
“Cover those coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then discard the tissue promptly. Stay home when sick, except to seek medical care or testing, and take steps to avoid spreading infection to others in your home,” said Kimple.
NCDHHS also has helpful resources on its website, like a measles immunity checker, information about vaccines, and a program that helps eligible families get free vaccines.
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