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More than 1 million North Carolinians are expected to head to the polls Tuesday to pick a president, governor, state superintendent, state legislature and dozens of other officials who operate federal, state and local government. Here's what you need to know. 

Election Day is Tuesday. What North Carolinians need to know as they head to the polls 

>> THEY VOTED FOR STATE OFFICE. >> SHOT IN 4 K ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION. YOUR NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, WRAL NEWS COVERAGE. YOU CAN GO. >> WELCOME BACK. HOLY COW. WE HAVE ELECTIONS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN SENDING IN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VOTING RULES AS THE DAY DRAWS NEAR WRAL. CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA LESLIE JOINING US LIVE HERE IN THE STUDIO, DANCER COMPANIES QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. GOOD QUESTIONS TO YES, SHE'S THE EXPERT. SO HERE WE GO. ONE VIEWER ASKING DURING EARLY VOTING, I VOTED ANY VOTING STATION OR DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO MY NORMAL VOTING LOCATION OUT. YOU CAN VOTE EARLY AT ANY VOTING STATION IN THE COUNTY WHERE YOU LIVE. NOT ANOTHER COUNTY, YOUR ELECTION DAY PRECINCT PROBABLY ISN'T AN EARLY VOTING SITE. HOWEVER, IF YOU VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO THE VOTING PRECINCT. YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO. IF YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE ON ELECTION DAY, YOU'LL STILL BE ALLOWED TO CAST A BALLOT BUT IT MAY ONLY BE PARTIALLY COUNTED BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN SOME OF THE RACES IN THAT PRECINCT, OK, NEXT QUESTION, FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER WHO IS CURRENTLY IN HOSPICE, REPORTEDLY VOTED BY MAIL YESTERDAY FOR KAMALA HARRIS. KNOW WE GOT KIND OF A WELL, I'M A BIT OF A MORBID, BUT I WOULD SAY REASONABLE QUESTION HERE. IF CARTER WERE TO PASS AWAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY, WHAT HE'S VOTE TECHNICALLY COUNTS. AND THAT IS A REASONABLE QUESTION I HAVE BECAUSE IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME, RIGHT? EVERY YEAR. SOME PEOPLE VOTE DURING THE EARLY VOTING PROCESS. AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY THEY PASS AWAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY? WELL, THE RULE IS YOU HAVE TO BE ALIVE ON ELECTION DAY FOR YOUR VOTE TO BE VALID COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS WORK WITH OTHER OFFICIALS TO COMPARE DEATH NOTICES IN YOUR COUNTY WITH THE VOTER ROLLS AND EVERY ABSENTEE VOTE, WHETHER THAT'S BY MAIL OR EARLY IN PERSON HAS A UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION CODE ON IT. AND THAT ALLOWS ELECTION OFFICIALS TO FIND THE BALLOT CAST BY A PARTICULAR VOTERS. SO IF SOMEONE VOTES EARLY BUT THEN DIES BEFORE ELECTION DAY ELECTION OFFICIALS WILL GO BACK AND RETRIEVE THEIR BALLOT AND THEY WILL NOT COUNTED THIS. THIS NEXT QUESTION OF FUN TO BE VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE VOTING EARLY NOWADAYS AND WE SEE HOW FAST THE NEWS CYCLE IT CAN HAPPEN AND HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE THIS. THIS YOU'RE ASKED WHAT IF I VOTE EARLY, BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS AND I CHANGE MY MIND. CAN THEY RETRIEVE MY ALLOW ME TO CAST A NEW WANT. I KNOW I JUST TOLD YOU THEY CAN RETRIEVE YOUR BALLOT. BUT IN THIS CASE IT'S NO TAKE BACKS. OKAY. ONCE YOU PUT THAT BALLOT IN THE TABULATOR OR INTO THE MAILBOX, IT IS CONSIDERED A CAST, A VOTE. DO OVERS SORRY, NOT ALLOWED. SO MAKE SURE YOU DOUBLE CHECK YOUR BALLOT BEFORE YOU CAST IT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS CORRECT. AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE YOU CAN WAIT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO ELECTION DAY, JUST MAYBE NOT TOO CLOSE IN JUST A FEW. I'LL BE WORKING

NC Voting 101

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Voting in Raleigh

Man shot at Shaw University after homecoming event

North Carolina schools will have a new leader next year. Here's what you need to know

Mo Green and Michele Morrow are running for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction

Person killed in ATV crash at Busco Beach, Wayne County Sheriff's Office says

Busco Beach has seen numerous ATV, drowning deaths over the years

Temperature turn-around: Seasonable Sunday before temperatures rise Election Day, beyond

High and low temperature forecast for Sunday, 11/3/2024

Johnston County motorcyclist dies after crash, alcohol suspected 

Crime Scene police lights

2024 City of Oaks Marathon guide: Everything you need to know before Sunday's races

City of Oaks Marathon on Nov. 5, 2023.

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WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Bucking past trends, Republicans are outpacing both Democrats and unaffiliated voters during the early voting period.

NC early voting ends with over 4 million ballots cast ahead of Election Day

Early voting in Cary

Federal authorities on Friday were at the home of a Myrtle Beach pastor linked to an investigation that gained national attention, WMBF reports.



FBI searches home of Myrtle Beach pastor after wife's death

Time to fall back! Daylight Saving Time ends 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3.


Clocks 'fall back' Sunday, marking end of Daylight Saving Time

Miniature alarm clock

Rocky Mount police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened on Saturday night.

One dead in Saturday night shooting on Sunshine Drive in Rocky Mount

Police respond to report of shooting on Sunshine Drive in Rocky Mount

Cary police are investigating a shooting that occurred on Saturday, resulting in one man being injured.

Cary police investigate shooting on E. Circle Drive that left one man injured

One person shot in Cary on E. Circle Drive 

Sky 5 on Friday flew over a large police presence in a neighborhood near downtown Raleigh, where police confirm a woman was hit by a vehicle. 



Woman charged with murder after hitting another woman with car following argument in Raleigh neighborhood

Kiara Brown

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will both campaign in North Carolina this weekend just days before Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.



Presidential candidates return to NC for final weekend of campaign

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NEW YORK (AP) â Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on âSaturday Night Liveâ in the final days before the election, playing herself as the mirror-image double of Maya Rudolphâs version of her in the show's cold open.

Harris appears on 'Saturday Night Live' as mirror image of Maya Rudolph with election looming

Kamala Harris in Raleigh

One of the only competitive U.S. House seats in the Southeast is in North Carolina. Gerrymandering, shifting political coalitions and an unpopular Democratic president have turned a once solidly Democratic district in rural North Carolina into a tossup.

Competitive NC race will help determine which party controls the U.S. House

Congress 1st Davis Buckhout

Officers on Saturday captured Johnathan Mabe, an inmate who escaped hours earlier from Sanford Correctional Center, a minimum-security prison facility in Lee County.


Inmate captured near Sanford Correctional Center in Lee County

Johnathan Mabe

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99.9 The Fan

The Sunshine Protection Act has yet to pass through Congress. Here's what it would be like if we never changed the time.

Ask the meteorologist: Will we ever do away with the time change?

Sunset over eastern Tennessee

Looking for parks with the best playgrounds in the Triangle? We have your guide to our favorites.



Guide to parks with the best playgrounds in the Triangle

Chavis Park playground 

The SPCA of Wake County has reduced adoption fees for adult dogs by 50% to help more animals find forever homes.



SPCA of Wake County cuts adoption fee for adult dogs 50% to help WNC

Clocks 'fall back,' Daylight Saving Time ends Nov. 3

A new map shows which portions of western North Carolina are open for tourists.



Map shows parts of western NC open for tourism

Love for western North Carolina

The first weekend of November is filled with holiday shopping opportunities, plus the final food truck rodeo at Durham Central Park for the year!



Weekend best bets: Durham Food Truck Rodeo, holiday fairs

Durham Food Truck Rodeo

Don't Miss It

Man dies in motorcycle crash in Dunn, troopers believe alcohol was a factor 

Powerball numbers for November 2, 2024 drawing

Biltmore Estate reopens to the public for holiday season 

NCCU student activities board hosts 'Vote or Else' Townhall 

Video Central

WRAL 6am News | November 2

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WRAL 9am News | November 1

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WRAL 6pm News | November 2

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Powerball winning numbers for November 2, 2024 drawing, jackpot soars to $54 million

Local News

'A beacon of hope': Biltmore Estate reopens after Hurricane Helene flooding, invites visitors to return

Wilson police arrest 32-year-old man in convenience store robbery

Man arrested after leading deputies on chase through Wake County

Remains of naval aviators killed in Washington state training flight to return home

Nation/World

Florida's convicted killer clown released from prison for the murder of her husband's then-wife

What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign

South Carolina executes Richard Moore despite broadly supported plea to cut sentence to life

Mud-caked volunteers clean flood debris in a Spanish town as authorities struggle to respond

A new exhibit, "Journey to Space," opens Saturday, Nov. 2, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.


Journey to Space: New exhibit opening at NC Museum of Natural Sciences

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 

Five state parks reopen in western NC, including Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman

Lake Norman

Foodie News: BBQ lovers rejoice + a new outlook in North Hills

Big Mike's BBQ at View Bar

Biltmore opens Saturday for first time since Helene with 28-foot-tall Christmas tree 

Biltmore_Helene_What_to_Know_15923

Thousands attend 'Music for the Mountains' Sunday; Hurricane Helene relief surpasses $1 million

'Music for the Mountains' in Raleigh 

Help North Carolina rebuild: Music for the Mountains concert

WRAL Cares

Out & About

Dan Bishop ad claims Jeff Jackson 'embraced' sex offender. 5 questions, answered.

Politifact

Fact check: Moore says the White House didn't call him after Helene hit North Carolina

Fact-checking Kamala Harris' 'closing argument' speech at the White House Ellipse

Fact check: No, a former military leader wasn't arrested in North Carolina amid Helene relief efforts

Fact check: Grafstein says Lassiter 'repeatedly campaigned' for large school funding cuts

Presidential candidates return to North Carolina for final weekend before Election Day

NC Capitol

WRAL News Poll shows how much trust NC voters have in elections

Demographics show shift in who is voting early in NC

GOP VP nominee JD Vance speaks at rally in Selma

Haven't mailed your NC ballot yet? You may need to vote a different way. Here are options

NC superintendent race remains close as Election Day approaches

Education

Real estate owners offer land for E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville

Where to build new E.E. Smith High School? Cumberland County community debates new location

NC superintendent race remains narrow as Election Day approaches, WRAL News Poll finds 

COVID-19 led to extra college eligibility. Those 5th-year players are set for their last runs

NC voters trust election results, but partisan divides linger, WRAL News Poll shows

WRAL In Depth

Cameron grandmother calls for Maytag oven recall after her stove explodes

The majority of the Wake school board is up for election this year. Here's who's running

Franklin County voters notice wrong races on early ballots

WRAL Investigates: Why some veterinarians face minor charges for deadly mistakes

N.C. State blasts Stanford 59-28 behind explosive offense led by CJ Bailey

WRALSportsFan

Former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson inducted to NC State football ring of honor

Hampton scores 5 TDs, Brown gets first win over Florida State as North Carolina rolls to 35-11 win

Duke upset bid falls short in second half, lose to No. 5 Miami, 53-31

NC Courage conclude regular season with 1-0 loss to Washington

Gibbons extends 4A volleyball dominance by East champs, defeats Marvin Ridge in title match

HighSchoolOT

West Henderson claims sixth volleyball title, wins 3A title match over J.H. Rose

Polk County repeats 1A volleyball title, sweeps Perquimans

McMichael wins second volleyball title, downs Seaforth in 2A championship

Monroe 4-star DB Jordan Young picks Clemson over NC State

Outdated FEMA flood maps labeled thousands of North Carolina homes as "low risk," leaving residents blindsided when Hurricane Helene flooded their communities. One survivor's story reveals why accurate flood risk data is more urgent than ever.


Outdated flood maps left NC homeowners vulnerable to Helene's fury

WRAL reporter Liz McLaughlin stands with homeowner Melinda Williams where her home once stood in Banner Elk, before floodwaters from Hurricane Helene destroyed it

TamÃ¡s Meszerics keeps an eye on election security around the world, including the U.S.

A larger look at election security across the US

Raleigh police responded Thursday to Optimist Park where witnesses saw a man shouting at people waiting in line for early voting and tearing up campaign signs.

Caught on camera: Man seen ripping up Harris-Walz signs at Raleigh early voting site

Raleigh police responded Thursday to Optimist Park early voting site, where witnesses saw a voter shouting at several other voters and volunteers and tearing up campaign signs in support of Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Man caught on video removing, ripping up Harris-Walz signs outside Raleigh early voting site

Caught on camera: Man rips Harris-Walz signs

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley explains how Republicans are trying to win North Carolina's 16 Electoral College votes.

RNC chair talks strategy week before presidential election

Michael Whatley

Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein continues to lead Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson by double digits in the race for North Carolina governor, a WRAL News Poll released Wednesday shows.

WRAL News Poll shows NC governor's race has largest gender gap on ballot

Josh Stein, Mark Robinson, candidates for North Carolina governor 2024

WRAL Specialists

5 On Your Side: Updating home fire detection

5 On Your Side Restaurant Ratings: Chilango, Hardee's & Another Broken Egg

Biggest health information hack in US history impacts 100 million people

60,000 Wawa-branded tumblers recalled because their metal straws can cut customers

5 On Your Side

Durham County ends Bull City United program

Bull City United discontinued: Durham County leaders terminate anti-violence program

Nebraska man charged with human trafficking victims in Durham also under investigation for fraud

WRAL Investigates: Why some veterinarians face minor consequences for deadly errors

Investigations

Mike Walden: For third month, NC leading indicators are lower

Wilmington's Artemis Immersive wins NC Tech award for groundbreaking 3D healthcare app

'Permanent downsizing': Raleigh, Durham among top work-from-home destinations, as office vacancies rise

Greg Behr: Bluey offers lessons for effective community relations

WRAL TechWire

Microsoft makes major land buy in Person County

Headphones track brain waves as you listen

'Operation Save Christmas' underscores challenges for Christmas tree growers in western NC after Helene

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US rises for fifth straight week

Business

Powerball

Mega Millions

Cash 5

Go Ask Dad: Bobbing for joy

Family

Sculptors turn massive pumpkin into work of art

What to do with your leftover Halloween candy

Trick-or-treat safety tips: Drivers, darkness the biggest threats for kids this Halloween 

'Wind phones' offer new way for grieving family, friends to connect with deceased loved ones 

Top Amazon deals: Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Vacuum only $99.95 (55% off), Apple iPad (9th Gen) only $199.99 (reg. $329), Audible Premium Plus only $0.99/mo, Hanes Men's Boxer Briefs 3 pk only $9.98 (47% off)

SmartShopper

List of National Sandwich Day Deals 2024 happening this weekend

Walmart announces THREE Black Friday Deals Events starting Nov. 11: See a sneak peek of the deals

Time to activate your Food Lion Shop & Earn offers for November

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