WNC 2024 general election live coverage

Reporting by Pat Moran, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle and Thomas Calder

(10:00 p.m.) With the local races in, Xpress is calling it a night.

(9:21 p.m.) The crowd at Highland erupted in applause as it was announced that the following Democrats won their seats:

• Lindsey Prather — State House of Representatives District 115
• Eric Ager — State House of Representatives District 114
• Brian Turner — State House of Representatives District 114
• Julie Mayfield — N.C. Senate District 49
• Amanda Edwards — Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair
• Jennifer Horton — Buncombe County Board of Commissioner District 1
• Terri Wells — Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 2
• Parker Sloan — Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 3
• Jean Marie Christy — Buncombe County Clerk of Superior Court
• Drew Reisinger — Register of Deeds
• Blair Thompson — Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
• Charles Martin — Buncombe County Schools Board of Education-at-large
• Ann Franklin — Buncombe County Schools Board of Education District 1
• Greg Cheatam — Buncombe County Schools Board of Education District 2
• Amy Churchill — Buncombe County Schools Board of Education District 2
• Sage Turner — Asheville City Council
• Kim Roney — Asheville City Council (Unaffiliated)
• Bo Hess — Asheville City Council
• Pepi Acebo — Asheville City Schools Board of Education
• Jesse Warren — Asheville City Schools Board of Education
• George Sieburg — Asheville City Schools Board of Education

(9:16 p.m.) 

Lissa Pedersen, vice president of Buncombe County Association of Educators (BCAE), member Cody Edenfield Estes and Shanna Peele, BCAE president came into the night optimistic after a record number of members of local teacher advocacy groups volunteered to campaign at polling locations this Election Day.

“We left everything on the table, and we’re hopeful that was enough,” Peele said.

(9:12 p.m.) With 31 of 40 precincts reporting in the City of Asheville, it appears all four $20 million bond referendums passed handily.

Housing bond, 70.9% yes; 29% no; transportation bond, 75% yes, 25%, no; parks and recreation bonds, 78%, 22%, yes; public safety bond, 73% yes, 27% no.

(9:01 p.m.) “It is an honor and privilege to serve the people of Buncombe County for four more years,” said Commissioner Parker Sloan, who ran unopposed in District 3 “I feel particularly proud because of how in awe I feel of this community we all call home since the hurricane. If past natural disasters are any guide, we have really difficult days yet ahead and some we will see it coming and some we will not. But together we have shown each other that we can do extraordinary things. And so my hope for us all and my ask to you is that you not forget the feeling of love, cooperation, resolve and resilience. Because it can carry us forward and enable us to build back stronger.”

(8:46 p.m.) Campaigning today in Buncombe and Henderson counties was “good energy,” Caleb Rudow told Xpress at Highland Brewing Co. Rudow is running against U.S. Rep Chuck Edwards for U.S. House District 11 . Rudow added that he will feel better when he sees some results at the top of the ticket.

(8:19 p.m.) U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, who arrived at the Cambria Hotel at 7:53 p.m., asked the crowd for a moment of silence for all who lost their lives in Tropical Storm Helene.

In his remarks, Edwards said, “I think we have to acknowledge the hardship that we’re facing in Western North Carolina, but I also think that we have to acknowledge the hope that we have here in Western North Carolina.”

He said he’s been asked if he’s worried about voter turnout after the storm. “I’m not worried. Because while we still been putting together our lives — while we’ve been trying to help out our neighbors, while we’ve been trying to get things back together here in Western North Carolina — we remember what our lives was like the day before the storm, and we’re not happy with the way things have been going, particularly for the last four years.

“I expect a big night tonight. I expect … we’re going to see Republicans elected up and down the ballot.

“We’re now faced with the challenge of about a $53 billion recovery here in Western North Carolina, along with the fact that we have a federal government that is out of control with spending. Those two things are going to be conflicting. … For decades, your taxpayer dollars have been funding wildfires in California, mudslides in California, tornadoes and floods in the Midwest, hurricanes in Louisiana, Texas, Florida and all along the Gulf Coast. Now we need help, and I certainly intend to bring the help that we need to rebuild back here to Western North Carolina.

“We know that we still got an open border that we’ve got to deal with. We’ve got runaway spending. We’ve got energy policies over the last four years choking our energy supply down and forcing our friends, our allies, to go to our enemies and purchase oil.

“We know that we still have a government — right now at this minute — that wants to allow men in sports. We know that parents need more say in their education. We’ve got a number of things that we’re going to go to work with, but I want to tell you one of the things that really gives me hope and promise. We know Donald J. Trump is going to be returning to the White House.

“When he was in the White House before, there was not a plan. And Republicans, while we had the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, without that plan, we were often at odds with one another. While we made some progress, we didn’t get all the work done that we intended to do, but there is very much a plan right now.

“We’ve been in constant contact with Donald Trump. He is certainly open to what his first 100 days would look like in the White House, and we’re going to start with all the bills that are on [U.S. Sen.] Chuck Schumer‘s desk right now to close the border, to unleash American energy, to not allow noncitizens to vote in an election, and so many other things that the House had passed that Schumer has refused to take up.

“So we’re going to walk over to the Senate, we’re going to pick up that stack of bills, we’re going to dust them off and pass them back to the Senate with a new majority over there, and put them on Donald Trump’s desk, and we’ll make a significant, significant difference to turn this country back around in the first 100 days. So there is very much a plan now, thanks to all the work that you’re doing.”

(8:11 p.m.) The mood is buoyant at Apollo Flame Bistro on Brevard Road where Van Duncan, unaffiliated candidate for chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is holding a watch party.

Among the about 40 supporters, Sandy Moss said she voted for Duncan because he is a “good man, good leader who knows his business.” Moss, who worked with Duncan when he was Sheriff at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, said she would trust Duncan with her nephew, her dog and her life.

“He always makes the right decisions,” Moss said.

Bill Snelson, a campaign volunteer for Duncan, visited nearly 20 polling locations around the county with the candidate on Election Day, talking to voters and electioneers about the election and how they’ve fared since the storm. Snelson, as well as Moss and her husband Randy Moss, are all confident that Duncan will prevail.

“He is so genuine, and people see that,” Snelson said.

At one polling location today, two women approached Duncan and said they were Democrats who were voting for his opponent, Amanda Edwards, but they still wanted to tell Duncan what a good Sheriff he was. There were also registered Democrats that told Duncan throughout the day that they were voting for him, Snelson added.

Duncan said while he was Sheriff, he didn’t like campaigning at the polls because he didn’t want to bother people. In this election, though, he found it very rewarding to connect with so many voters, no matter who they chose in the booth.

His wife, Shana Duncan, said the campaign was working up until the very end, including putting signs up in Barnardsville, which was severely impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, as late as Monday night.

“He wanted to make sure no one was left out,” she said.

For his part, Duncan said he was confident that he would pull out a victory when all was said and done. But he acknowledged that from the beginning, his campaign was a long shot. As an unaffiliated candidate, he had to petition to get on the ballot with no help from the local parties. He thinks the success he’s seen fundraising — he ultimately raised over $190,000 he said — shows that people are hungry for a different kind of leadership.

If he doesn’t pull out a victory, he said he would be most disappointed in disappointing all those who supported him.

(8:03 p.m.) The crowd went wild at the Highland Brewing Co. watch party, as Kathie Kline, chair of the Buncombe County Democratic Party announced that Fox News just called the North Carolina gubernatorial race for Josh Stein. 

(7:51 p.m.) Greg Parks, running for District 1 at Buncombe County Schools, is at the NCGOP watch party at the Cambria Hotel in Asheville. At the event, he told Xpress that he is feeling good about the election. Running for the second time, he says he noticed a difference in this year’s race compared to 2022, when candidates ran districtwide. Today, he traveled to several voting sites in his district, where he spoke with voters. District 1 is primarily in Weaverville.

“Win or lose, what I do tomorrow isn’t going to change,” Parks told Xpress. 

(7:12) The doors have opened at Highland Brewing Co., where the Buncombe County Democratic Party is hosting its 2024 general election watch party. There is plenty of chatter among attendees, as well as popcorn and beer. The event runs until midnight. Xpress will have updates from the location as results come in.

(6:46 p.m.) Electioneers at West Buncombe Elementary School reported a relatively quiet day compared to previous years.

Sid Johnson, who hands out campaign material for Republicans every Election Day at the location, was stationed outside the site this year. He said because of the high early voting number, turnout seemed to be lower than usual throughout the day.

As of Buncombe County’s update at 4 p.m., 555 voters have voted at West Buncombe Elementary.

One of those voters, a Ukranian named Ivan who declined to share his last name, said he came out to vote because the economy was better during the Trump administration, and he was concerned that immigrants at the southern border were gaining access to the United States with too much ease. Ivan immigrated to the U.S. 20 years ago and had to go through multiple steps to gain his citizenship, he said.

Johnson said he enjoyed working on Election Day every year and gets along well with those out campaigning for the Democrats. One of those campaigners, Nate Worley, campaign director for county commission candidate Terri Wells, struck an optimistic tone when speaking with Xpress.

“Terri Wells is great at gaining bipartisan support from even hardcore Republicans,” he said.

Worley, who worked as Wells’ field director in 2020, said his goal this year was to inspire five Republicans in each precinct that Wells represents to vote for her, and he believes they achieved that by knocking on doors and letting Wells connect with a wide range of voters.

(5:51 p.m.) According to Buncombe County Elections Office, 25,412 voters have cast their ballot on Election Day. This number was updated at 4 p.m. Polls close at 7:30 p.m.

If you are in line at your polling station by 7:30 p.m., you will be able to vote.

(Noon-3:30 p.m.) Xpress hopped around to several polling locations this afternoon, including Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, Friendship Community Center, West Asheville Library and Leicester Community Center. There were no lines at any of the four sites. Several poll workers noted it was unusually quiet.

Reproductive health care was the top issue that voters brought up in their conversations with Xpress. For more, see photos and captions at the bottom of the page.

According to Buncombe County’s 2 p.m. update, 21,154 people have voted so far today. In 2020, the 2 p.m. count totaled 12,498. Pisgah Elementary School has seen the highest turnout with 720 voters.

(9:00 a.m.) Election Day is upon us and Xpress is gearing up for live coverage as results come in.

As of Nov. 2, nearly 54% of all registered Buncombe County voters cast their ballots. Unaffiliated voters made up the largest segment of the early vote, accounting for 46,276 of the 116,118 votes. Democrats followed closely behind with 44,518, while Republicans totaled 24,519. Women voted at a higher rate than men — 52% to 41%. The remaining 7% of voters were undesignated.

Due to storm damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene, 17 of 80 Election Day voting sites have changed. Updated locations are listed below:

• Precinct 19.1 → Skyland First Baptist Church 2115 Hendersonville Road, Arden, 28704
• Precinct 24.1 → Lucy S. Herring Elementary School, 98 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, 28806
• Precinct 27.2 → St. Eugene Catholic Church, 72 Culvern St., Asheville, 28804
• Precinct 33.3 → Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain, 28711
• Precincts 34.1 & 35.1 → St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W. State St., Black Mountain, 28711
• Precinct 36.1 → Ridgecrest Conference Center, 1 Ridgecrest Drive, Black Mountain 28711
• Precinct 37.1 → Temporary Polling Station, 1722 NC 9 Highway, Black Mountain, 28711
• Precinct 39.2 → Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview, 28730
• Precinct 41.1 → Alexander Baptist Church, 1 Curtis Parker Road, Alexander, 28701
• Precinct 49.1 → Liberty Baptist Church, 875 Monte Vista Road, Candler, 28715
• Precinct 57.1 → Trinity of Fairview, 646 Concord Road, Fletcher, 28732
• Precinct 60.2 → Reynolds Middle School, 2 Rocket Drive, Asheville, 28803
• Precinct 60.4 → Fairview Community Center, 1357 Charlotte Highway, Fairview 28730
• Precinct 61.1 & 66.1 → Warren Wilson College, 124 Lower College Road, Swannanoa 28778
• Precinct 64.1 → Artspace Charter School, 2030 US 70 Highway, Swannanoa, 28778

For a list of all locations, visit avl.mx/e9q.

To locate your voting precinct, visit avl.mx/6nq.

A reminder: Photo ID is required to vote. For additional information, visit BringItNC.gov.

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Those in line at 7:30 can still cast their votes.

Once voting wraps up, Xpress will bring you live updates. Reporters Pat Moran, Greg Parlier and Brooke Randle, along with managing editor Thomas Calder, will be making their rounds across Buncombe County to speak with local candidates.

This post will be updated regularly throughout the evening as elections results come in.

EDUCATION: “My main concern in Asheville City Schools is that parents are given the priority,” says local resident John Immel. “Specifically, school choice is very important to me. … I picked anyone who mentioned the word ‘parent’ in their description. That’s who I voted for. If they did not mention parents, they did not get my vote.” Immel, who is a parent to seven children, went on to note, “Democrat views overrun the schools. … Republicans are alienated from the schools.” Photo by Thomas Calder  

TOP PRIORITY: Megan Silsbee, left, and Joe Pollock pose with their daughter, Josette, outside the Tempie Avery Montford Community Center. Women’s rights is the top priority for them in this year’s election. Along with the presidential race, they say the govern’s race is of upmost importance to them. Photo by Thomas Calder

HOMECOMING: Jonah Kalepp was displaced by Tropical Storm Helene. He drove in from Johnson City, Tenn. to vote in this year’s election. “The top issue is definitely women’s rights in the country,” he says outside the Friendship Community Center. Photo by Thomas Calder

COUNCIL HOPEFUL: CJ Domingo, right, who is running for Asheville City Council, speaks to a voter outside the West Asheville Library. Photo by Thomas Calder

PRO-CHOICE: “I believe this is a superimportant election, given the state of the country,” says Audra Beauchamp, who voted at the West Asheville Library. Her top concerns, she says, are “women’s right to choose, support of the middle-class and fair treatment of everybody.” Photo by Thomas Calder

GUBERNATORIAL RACE: “I didn’t even bother voting for a president,” says Brennus Griswold, outside the West Asheville Library. “I mean, Hillary [Clinton] won the popular vote but didn’t even win. So I feel like my vote doesn’t really matter for that. Really, I just voted for the govern. I didn’t want Mark Robinson. I voted for the Libertarian party.” 

POST-HELENE: For Linda Crawford, her top concern this election year is the recovery effort in Western North Carolina. “I want to make sure everyone is taken care of because Helene has left scars upon scars,” she says outside the West Asheville Library. “I just hope whoever wins has a heart and sees this and can lend that helping hand and find those resources and keep those resources coming in.” Photo by Thomas Calder  

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: Steve and Marcie Jellema pose outside the Leicester Community Center. The couple, who has been married for 37 years, says women’s reproductive rights are the top issue for them. “I have daughters and granddaughters,” Marcie says. “I’m here for them.” Photo by Thomas Calder

FIRST-TIME VOTER: Michael Kozma turned 18 on Nov. 4. “I am luckily able to come and vote today,” he says. The economy is his top issue. “I feel that [Donald] Trump is going to add tariffs and most are just going to raise the price on a lot of things. The money brought me to the polls.”