If you have been following the fight over broken HVAC in Wake County schools and the money pouring into private school vouchers, here is the part that matters most. The people who decide how that money gets spent are on your ballot this November. Here is what is actually up for a vote, why it hits close to home, and how to make sure you are ready to vote.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. On Election Day you have to vote at your assigned polling place, so it is worth looking yours up ahead of time.

What’s actually on your ballot

U.S. Senate

North Carolina has an open Senate seat this year, and it is one of the most watched races in the country. Former Governor Roy Cooper (D) and former state Republican Party chair Michael Whatley (R) are the major-party nominees, with Libertarian Shannon Bray and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin also on the ballot. Forecasters currently rate it a toss-up.

U.S. House

All 14 of North Carolina’s congressional seats are up. You only vote in the district where you live, so your ballot will show one House race.

The entire NC General Assembly

Every seat in the state Senate and state House is on the ballot. These are the races most people scroll past, and they are the ones that matter most for our schools. More on that below.

The courts

Seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are also up. The State Board of Elections publishes a nonpartisan Judicial Voter Guide if you want to research those candidates.

Why the legislature races matter for our schools

Here is the insight that gets lost in the noise. Counties are responsible for school buildings, but the state writes the budget that shapes what counties can do, sets teacher pay, and funds programs like the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program. That budget comes from the General Assembly.

So when North Carolina spends close to $600 million on private school vouchers in a single year while Wake County public schools sit on more than $200 million in deferred HVAC repairs, that is not an accident of nature. It is a set of choices made by people who hold state legislative seats. Those exact seats are on your ballot on November 3. If you care where the money goes, the down-ballot races are where you have the most direct say.

This guide does not tell you who to vote for. It tells you that skipping the state races means skipping the vote that touches your kid’s classroom most directly.

Key dates to put in your phone right now

• October 9, 2026, 5 p.m. Voter registration deadline for the general election.
• October 15 to October 31, 2026. In-person early voting. Same-day registration is available during this window, so if you miss the October 9 deadline you can still register and vote early in person.
• October 20, 2026, 5 p.m. Deadline to request an absentee (mail-in) ballot.
• November 3, 2026. Election Day. Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m.

Check your registration in two minutes

Do this today, even if you are sure you are registered. Moves, name changes, and routine list maintenance can quietly knock your registration out of date.

1. Go to ncsbe.gov and open the Voter Search tool (also called the voter lookup).
2. Enter your first and last name. You can add your county or birth year to narrow the results.
3. Confirm your status, find your polling place, and view your sample ballot once it is available.

Check your registration here: ncsbe.gov/registering/checking-your-registration

A few reminders. North Carolina asks voters to show photo ID when you check in, so know which ID you are bringing. If your registration looks incomplete, the State Board’s Registration Repair tool walks you through fixing it. And if you plan to vote by mail, check the current mailing rules on ncsbe.gov so your ballot is not disqualified over a deadline.

Bottom line

The classroom conditions people are angry about trace straight back to a budget, and that budget traces straight back to seats on this year’s ballot. Check your registration, mark the dates, and vote all the way down the ballot. Then send this to one person who needs the reminder.

Not sure who represents you or what your full ballot looks like? Your sample ballot in the Voter Search tool shows every race you can vote in.