How many Black voters voted early in Georgia and North Carolina in 2026?

On this page: Why only two states; Where the count stands, county by county; What these numbers do and do not say; What it means, and who decides; Who pays; Who decides, from you up; and What you can do today

Black voters showed up early this year. In Georgia, at least 838,672 Black voters cast a ballot early in person or by mail by November 2, 2026. In the 2022 midterm, the last election without a president on the ballot, the final count was 741,633. That is 13.1% more this time.

The early vote grew for everyone in Georgia, and the Black early vote grew a little faster. Black voters cast 29.6% of all early and mail ballots this year, beside 29.2% in 2022.

In North Carolina, 599,251 Black voters had cast early or mail ballots by November 3, 2026, beside 408,585 in the 2022 midterm. That is 46.7% more. Black voters cast 21.2% of all early and mail ballots in North Carolina this year, beside 18.6% in 2022.

In both states, the Black early vote grew faster than the early vote as a whole.

Why only two states

Most states do not ask your race when you register to vote, so they cannot count voters by race. A few states do ask. Georgia and North Carolina are two of them, and both publish the counts for anyone to check. That is why this story starts with them. When more states publish their counts, SourceLine adds them here, and the Where you live page shows what your state publishes.

Where the count stands, county by county

In Georgia, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton and Henry counties cast the most Black early and mail ballots this year. In North Carolina, Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Durham, Cumberland and Forsyth did. Each of these counties cast more Black early and mail ballots than in 2022. Enter your address on the Where you live page to see your county beside the state.

What these numbers do and do not say

These counts show who voted, never how anyone voted. Your ballot is secret, and no count tells which candidate anyone chose.

Some of this year’s ballots in Georgia’s data are not linked to a race yet, so the Black count here is the lowest it could be. This year’s counts stood the day before Election Day or the morning of it; the 2022 counts are the final totals for that election. Results tonight are unofficial until each state certifies them.

What it means, and who decides

Who pays

Is early voting paid with your tax dollars? Yes. Early voting sites, poll workers and the counting are run by your county’s election office, and the county budget pays for most of it from local tax dollars. Your state sets the rules and runs the statewide systems. Federal grants have helped states buy voting equipment. SourceLine shows how the money moves so you can weigh it; SourceLine takes no side on how much should be spent.

Who decides, from you up

You and your neighbors decide who wins. You also decide who writes the rules for the next election.

Your county board of elections decides where early voting sites go and, within state law, how many hours they stay open. Ask them: are the early voting sites close to where people in my neighborhood live and work?

Your state legislators decide how many days of early voting you get, the rules for voting by mail, and what ID you need. Ask them: what would make it easier, not harder, for working people in my district to vote early?

Your secretary of state or state board of elections runs the statewide systems and certifies the results. Ask them: when will my county’s count be final, and where can I see it?

Members of Congress set federal voting protections and decide federal money for elections. Ask them: what are you doing to protect the vote in my district?

The Where you live page gives you the real names for your address, at every level.

What you can do today

Polls close at 7 pm in Georgia and 7:30 pm in North Carolina. If you are in line when the polls close, you can still vote. Your county election office can tell you where your polling place is.

After tonight, counties count every ballot and states certify the results. Georgia’s deadline to certify is November 20; North Carolina’s state canvass is November 24. SourceLine shows the counts as they come in, labelled unofficial until they are certified.

Counts are early in person, mail and electronic ballots accepted before Election Day, as each state published them. Georgia's 2026 count is from the Secretary of State's unofficial turnout data as of November 2, 2026; ballots not yet linked to a race are counted in the total and not as Black ballots, so the Black share is the lowest it could be. Georgia's 2022 count is the final early and absentee total by race. North Carolina's counts are accepted early and mail ballots from the State Board of Elections absentee and early voting file; its 2022 file was posted after the count and includes mail ballots that arrived after Election Day, so the 2022 figure is, if anything, a little high. Race is what each voter gave on the registration form. These counts are not population, voting age population or registered voters.