Early voting for the 2026 primary election begins Thursday with local races including seats on the Onslow County Board of Commissioners and Onslow County Board of Education.
Residents can vote early from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and weekdays through Feb. 27. Early voting will also take place on Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Locations for early voting are the Onslow County Board of Elections, at 246 Georgetown Road in Jacksonville; the Jacksonville Commons Recreation Center, at 100 Recreation Lane; the Onslow County Museum, at 310 S. Wilmington St. in Richlands; the Sneads Ferry Public Library, at 1330 N.C. 210; and the Swansboro Recreation Center, at 830 Main St. Ext.
The primary election is March 3 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Both the Onslow County Board of Commissioners and the Onslow County Board of Education will have Republican primaries.
Three commissioner seats are up for grabs, with incumbents Royce Bennett and Tim Foster running for reelection, challenged by former commissioner Walter Scott and newcomers Whitney Cantrell, Tyler Googe and Elliot Jarman.
The top three vote-getters will run against Democratic candidates Rebecca Cooper and Michel Leandre Jr. in the Nov. 3 general election.
Three seats are also available on the Onslow County Board of Education, with incumbents Bill Lanier and Angie Todd running for reelection, challenged by newcomers Doug Davis, David Green, Bill Halley and Daisy Haywood. The top three vote-getters will run uncontested in the November general election.
Two will also face off in the N.C. House District 16 race, incumbent Carson Smith and newcomer Joshua Patti. The winner will face Democratic candidate Jim Harris in November.
A photo identification is required to vote. An ID must be unexpired or expired for less than a year. Voters can use an expired ID if it expired after a person turned 65 years of age. IDs do not have to have the resident's current address.
Residents who do not have an acceptable photo ID can get a free ID card from the N.C Division of Motor Vehicles or a free N.C. voter photo ID card from the Onslow County Board of Elections.
The results of the March 3 primary will be confirmed following the canvass of the votes on March 13.
