Election night in Alamance County includes races in local municipalities, statewide offices and federal offices. Elon News Network is following the outcome of races across the county and state.
Click here for more information on candidates and voting in Alamance County.
The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in North Carolina. According to the State Board of Elections, voters in line at their designated polling locations at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote.
Scroll below for Elon News Network’s live coverage, including background on the candidates, updates on races and results of the elections as they come in.
This live blog has ended.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 2:40 a.m.
Republican Ted Budd won the seat to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate against his opponent, Democrat Cheri Beasley.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 1:08 a.m.
Steve Carter and Craig Turner were reelected to Alamance County Commissioners,
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 1:05 a.m.
Republican Michael Stading won the North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Seat 11 against his opponent, Democrat Darren Jackson.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 1:02 a.m.
Donna Stroud has been elected to NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 9.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:57 a.m.
Republican incumbent Dennis Riddell won the House of Representatives seat for North Carolina District 64 against Democratic opponent Ron Osborne, winning 62.69% of the vote.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:52 a.m.
Republican challenger Trey Allen won the race for North Carolina Supreme Court, filling seat 05.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:50 a.m.
Stephen Ross was elected to NC House for District 63.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:44 a.m.
Julee Tate Flood was elected as a judge for the North Carolina Appeals Court, filling Seat 8, by 52.62% of the vote.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:38 a.m.
John Tyson has won the North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10 against his opponent Gale Adams with 52.94% of the vote. Tyson has secured the seat for the next 8 years.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:33 a.m.
Republican Richard Dietz has won the North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 3 against his opponent Democrat Lucy Inman, winning 52.59% of the vote.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:20 a.m.
Republican incumbent Amy Galey won her bid for reelection, receiving 62.97% of the votes.
Updated as of Nov. 9 at 12:08 a.m.
Dan Ingle, Charles Parker and Chuck Marsh were elected to the Alamance-Burlington School System Board of Education by 25.02%, 20.09% and 19.09% of the vote respectively.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:59 p.m.
Brad Allen has been reelected as the district court judge for North Carolina’s 15A Judicial District, which presides over Alamance County, after running unopposed.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:49 p.m.
The Democratic watch party was busy, despite losses for the party. All generations gathered together to watch the results come in this Tuesday night. Many candidates, including Seneca Rogers, Kelly White, Ron Osborn, Ricky Hurtado and Sean Ewing, were in attendance to wait with supporters.
The Lounge in Burlington served food to Democratic supporters as they waited to see who would represent them. On tonight's menu — classics like chicken wings, meatballs and mac and cheese. People shared drinks and laughs as the votes came in.
Supporters of the candidates gathered around the numerous TVs and discussed possible outcomes of the race. A projector was set up showing each county and how it was voting tonight. Some even followed live TV on their phones to get a whole picture of the country.
Elon sophomore Ryan Eladis particularly passionate about politics in the Burlington area. As a political science major, he took his interests and skills to canvas for Ricky Hurtado.
“The fact that I’m trying to do something helps people still have faith in the electoral system,” Elad shared.
The night ended with hugs and words of gratitude from candidates and supporters alike. The results may have been underwhelming, but attendees kept their spirits high by dancing together and making plans to catch up in the future.
— Lexi Rogers
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:44 p.m.
Republican Meredith Tuck Edwards ran unopposed for her second term as Alamance County Clerk of Superior Court.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:32 p.m.
Republican incumbent Terry Johnson won his first contested sheriff’s race in 12 years.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:23 p.m.
Sean Boone will stay in his role as Alamance County district attorney after running unopposed and receiving 100% of the votes.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:12 p.m.
Six candidates ran for the two open positions of soil and water conservation district supervisor, with Richard Reid winning with 24.03% of votes and Donna Vanhook winning with 20.97% of votes.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 10:57 p.m.
Democrat Valerie Foushee has won the House of Representatives seat for North Carolina District 4.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 10:11 p.m.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 10:06 p.m.
Ron Osborne, Democratic candidate for N.C. House of Representatives for District 64, said he came to the Democratic Party of Alamance County watch party not for himself, but for his fellow Democratic candidates.
“Whether the vote tally shows me winning or losing, that’s not important,” Osborne said. “What’s important to me is to run an honorable campaign.”
Incumbent Republican Dennis Riddell leads with 63.87% of the vote as of 9:22 p.m.
Riddell did not respond to Elon News Network’s immediate request for comment.
Updated as of of Nov. 8 at 9:56 p.m.
Sean Ewing arrived at the Democratic Party of Alamance County watch party in high spirits at 9:30 p.m., even as he trails behind incumbent Republican Amy Galey in the race for N.C. State Senate District 25.
“It is what it is, but I had a blast,” Ewing said. “It’s unfortunate, but I’m still in good spirits.”
Galey declined an interview with Elon News Network on Election Day.
Galey leads with 57.9% of the vote and Ewing has just 42.1% as of 9:22 p.m
Updated of Nov. 8 at 9:55 p.m.
After leading for most of the evening, incumbent Ricky Hurtado has fallen behind in the race for N.C. House District 63. Republican Stephen Ross is ahead by just 544 votes.
“We always knew it would be a tight race,” Hurtado said. “There’s a few critical precincts out right now that we’re waiting to see how it turns out, so it’s tight and we’ll see where we land.”
Ross has 51.14% of the vote and Hurtado is not far behind, with 48.86% as of 9:22 p.m.
Ross did not respond to Elon News Network’s multiple requests for comment.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 9:41 p.m.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 9:30 p.m.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 8:41 p.m.
Elon University students are gathered on the first floor of the Moseley Center for the watch party hosted by Elon Votes, which will run until 11 p.m.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
The polls have closed.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 7:16 p.m.
According to data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, voter turnout in the 2020 general election was 75% of all eligible voters in the state. The last midterm election, 2018, saw a voter turnout of just 53%.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 7:01 p.m.
The Elon Elementary School polling location hosted 664 voters, as of 6 p.m. Elon University students were among those voters tonight at the polls, arriving via the shuttle service provided by the school.
At Elon Elementary, campaigners stood outside the entrance giving flyers and talking to passersby.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Members of the Elon Town Council, Alamance Arts staff and the community gathered to reveal the new statue north of the intersection at West College Avenue and North Williamson Avenue. Afterward, town of Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe said everyone should vote.
“The polls are still open, so hopefully everyone will get out there and vote,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe stressed the importance of young people voting.
“We continue to see turnout among young people to be lower, but it's their future,” Sharpe said. “So it's important for them to show up and turnout and make their voice heard.”
— Abigail Hobbs
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 5:56 p.m.
Elon Votes! has had a shuttle running from the Center for the Arts to local polling places today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Elon Votes! has had a shuttle running from the Center for the Arts to local polling places Nov. 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bob Frigo, assistant dean of campus life and director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, said most Elon students vote absentee in their home states, but the shuttle provides transportation for those wanting to vote here in Alamance County.
“For those students, they can jump on our shuttle today and take that shuttle to one of our two local polling places,” Frigo said. An Election Night watch event will also take place at 8 p.m. on the first floor of the Moseley Center for community members to watch coverage of the midterm elections.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 5:14 p.m.
Budd is projected 4.3 points ahead of Beasley in the polls as of 12:07 a.m. Nov. 8 — according to FiveThirtyEight. Budd has been projected ahead of Beasley since April, with Beasley only scraping ahead at times during mid August to early September.
Beasley has been very active across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter starting this morning and spreading into the afternoon. As of 4:45 p.m. Beasley has made six posts across each of her social media platforms depicting herself talking to voters, asking and thanking people for their support, shouting out politicians speaking to the importance of voting and encouraging everyone to go vote.
“The truth is, there is so much at stake in this election: abortion rights, affordable healthcare, lower costs and so much more. And Election Day is our opportunity to make our voices heard,” Beasley said in a video she posted to her Facebook page.
As of 4:40 p.m. Budd has made three posts to Twitter containing both photos of him voting and photos of him talking to and posing with voters at the polls.
Neither Beasley nor Budd has responded to Elon News Network’s multiple requests for comment.
— Ryan Kupperman
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 4:57 p.m.
Kelly White, candidate for Alamance County Sheriff, visited polls today, sharing photos on his social media accounts.
“I’m out in the county, visiting different voting sites and engaging with voters just as I would be when elected as your sheriff — meeting people where they are and addressing their concerns,” he wrote on Facebook.
White said today alone, he has traveled 62 miles to different polling locations across the state. He said he’s talked to community members about their concerns. He said the most prevalent concern is how the sheriff’s office plans to address violent crime.
“A lot of the community members just had concerns about being treated fair and equal across the board,” White told Elon News Network. “That’s where the concerns are.”
— Annemarie Bonner
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 4:51 p.m.
Earlier today, North Carolina District 4 House of Representatives candidate Valerie Foushee tweeted that she and her husband visited Orange County polls. She urged anyone who hasn’t voted to do so.
Foushee recently visited Alamance County polls on October 27, during the early voting period. In a tweet, she thanked the Alamance Democrats for their “hard work at the polls.”
Republican candidate Courtney Geels has not made any tweets today regarding Election Day.
— Betsy Schlehuber
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 4:22 p.m.
Republican Judge Richard Dietz and Democrat Judge Lucy Inman are competing for seat 3 on the Supreme Court. Democrats have held a 4-3 majority on the court since the last election. Republicans are hoping for at least one of the two seats to gain the advantage in the court.
Both candidates told Elon News Network they did not have statements at this time.
At Elon Elementary, a small crowd is gathered outside ready to give information to incoming voters. The polling location is one of the two locations Elon University offers transportation for.
Wendy and Tim, two retired Elon residents, said working at the polls has become a tradition in their household. While they support different parties, they assist at the same polling center.
When asked about the North Carolina Supreme Court election, Wendy said, “I don’t have a lot of familiarity with that. I don’t keep up with that the way I do with other races.”
“The signs speak for themselves.” Tim chimed in, gesturing toward the array of signs with none of them being directly about the Supreme Court election.
— Erin Hroncich
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 3:55 p.m.
As of Nov. 8, 261, 422 mail-in ballots were requested in the state of North Carolina, according to data from the North Carolina Board of Elections. This is a 90.5% increase from this time in 2018, where only 137, 204 mail-in ballots were requested.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 2:48 p.m.
Candidates Anthony Pierce, Steve Carter and Craig Turner are running for the two open seats on the Alamance County Commissioner Board. Democrat Pierce is a second-time candidate for a seat on the board, while Carter and Turner are both campaigning for reelection.
In the previous midterm election in 2020, Carter and Turner secured 33% of the votes, receiving 6,431 votes and 6321 votes respectively, while Pierce came fourth in the primaries, with 15.68% of the votes, receiving 6169 votes.
Pierce said no matter how residents of Alamance County vote, he will stand by their decision, even if he should lose the elections.
“I will accept the fact that the voters are satisfied with the current votership and it is not time for me to lead,” Pierce said.
The winning candidates will be sworn on to the board next month.
“Being sworn in or anticipating being sworn in on the first Monday in December, and I’ll actually take the seat at that time and transition from campaigning to governing,” Pierce said.
“Feels great if won, and is a clear message that the county is ready for change.”
Carter and Turner did not reply to Elon News Network’s multiple requests for comment.
— Michael Leung
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 12:50 p.m.
Sean Ewing, Democratic candidate for North Carolina Senate representing District 25, has been at the polls since they opened this morning at 7:30 a.m., greeting voters. He said he plans to visit as many polling stations within District 25 as possible to talk to voters in Alamance and Randolph County.
Looking back at early voting...
“It is a very active electorate, they are coming out and having some phenomenal, phenomenal conversations,” Ewing said.
Republican incumbent Amy Galey declined an interview with Elon News Network prior to and on Election Day.
Ewing will be in Elon this afternoon.
— Kyra O'Connor
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 12:37 p.m.
Incumbent Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson made a Facebook post Nov. 7, claiming that his name did not appear on some voter’s ballots.
“After numerous voters expressed concern that Terry Johnson’s name did not appear on their ballots, the Johnson for Sheriff Campaign poll greeters began asking voters to be vigilant to assure that our sheriff’s name appeared on both the screen and also on their printed ballot if they believed they had voted for the sheriff,” the post said. “Numerous individuals posted and tweeted lies about the issue referring to ‘fraudulent and false claims and disinformation’ and claiming that our campaign has been instructed by BoE to remove relevant fb posts – no such thing ever occurred!”
Alamance County Republicans followed suit Nov. 8, posting on Facebook:
“We have several voters say this name was not on the ballot. If you DO NOT see his name SAY SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY REPORT IT!!!!”
Alamance County Board of Elections disputed this claim, writing in a press release:
“This week a few voters reported that a candidate had not been on their ballot. They did not mention this while voting, but reported it after they voted. Elections staff verified all candidates that are supposed to be on ballots are correctly listed. Any information a candidate is not on a ballot is not correct.”
The post continued, claiming that all ballots and voting devices were checked prior to the election.
“The Board of Elections reassures the voters of Alamance County that the names of all eligible candidates are included on all ballots at all early voting sites, absentee by mail ballots and Election Day ballots. Under state law voting equipment must be tested prior to each election, which includes proofing ballots and candidates and this fact is unequivocally verified.”
The Board of Elections wrote that under state law, ballots and voting equipment must be verified before the election begins. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, voting equipment has to be certified with the state.
— Annemarie Bonner
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 12:29 p.m.
Two years ago, Ricky Hurtado became the first Latino Democrat in the North Carolina General Assembly, defeating then incumbent Stephen Ross. This midterm, Hurtado is now in office running for reelection against the same candidate — now challenger — Ross.
In 2020, Hurtado secured 50.59% of votes, which was 20,584 ballots in his favor, and Ross secured 49.41% of votes, or 20,107 ballots in his favor.
In the 2022 election, both candidates campaigned to new voters because of North Carolina redistricting. Elon University no longer is within District 63.
Hurtado said he is enjoying Election Day thus far, talking to voters and visiting polling sites across Alamance County.
“I'm optimistic the Alamance community will continue to put our community first and vote for progress as I make my case for re-election,” Hurtado wrote in a statement to Elon News Network. “I'll continue talking to voters until the very last minute!”
Ross did not respond to Elon News Network’s multiple requests for comment.
— Kyra O'Connor
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 12:23 p.m.
The polls close at 7:30 p.m. for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, where Democrat Cheri Beasley, Republican Ted Budd, Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh and Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray are vying for the seat.
Budd is projected five points ahead of Beasley, who is the next closest candidate, in the polls as of Nov. 4 — according to RealClear Politics.
Kay Hagan, who lost reelection in 2014, was North Carolina’s last Democratic U.S. senator. Current North Carolina senator Republican Richard Burr was elected in 2004 and is not running for reelection, leaving a vacant space for this election cycle.
Budd has served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District since 2017, which covers the north-central part of the state including Alamance County. He has received endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz.
Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Ted Budd shake hands following an hour-long debate moderated by Spectrum News 1 political anchor Tim Boyum at Spectrum News 1 studio in Raleigh, NC Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (Travis Long/News and Observer)
Beasley has spent more than two decades in the judicial system and formerly served as chief justice in the North Carolina Supreme Court from 2019 to 2020 — being the first Black woman to have held the position.
Beasley has been very active across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter this morning. As of 12:15 p.m., Beasley has made five posts across each of her social media platforms depicting herself talking to voters, asking and thanking people for their support and encouraging everyone to go vote.
“The truth is, there is so much at stake in this election: Abortion rights, affordable healthcare, lower costs and so much more. And Election Day is our opportunity to make our voices heard,” Beasley said in a video she posted to her Facebook page.
As of 12:10 p.m., Budd has made two posts to Twitter today with photos of him voting and talking to voters at the polls.
“Polls are open until 7:30 tonight so make sure to go vote if you haven’t already! I humbly ask for your vote,” Budd wrote on Twitter.
— Ryan Kupperman
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 12:03 p.m.
A short walk from Danieley Center, the First Baptist Church of Elon is operating as one of the smaller polling locations in Alamance County. There was no line outside, and voters were observed to take about five to 10 minutes to vote.
A town of Elon resident and voter, who wished to not be named, said she thinks there is no line because of how small the location is, and many voters she knew decided to vote early this year.
She said there was only one person in front of her in line upon entering the church, and when it was her turn to vote, paper ballots were utilized instead of electronic machines.
Paper ballots made the voting process much quicker, the voter said.
Elon Votes tabled at a windy College Coffee as Election Day got underway. Students could write on a whiteboard why they decided to vote, ask questions about voting and pick up an “I Voted” sticker.
Students who are registered in Alamance County can take a shuttle to two local polling locations. Shuttles are leaving from the Center of the Arts and will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, according to the Elon Votes website.
Elon Votes will also hold an Election Night Watch Party from 8 to 11 p.m. in Moseley Center. Pizza will be provided.
— Betsy Schlehuber
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 11:30 a.m.
Candidates running for the three open seats on the Alamance Burlington School System Board of Education are spending their days campaigning.
Dan Ingle, a candidate for Alamance Burlington School System’s Board of Education, started his morning in southern Alamance County. Ingle told Elon News Network that he is excited for today and that it’s been a great morning so far.
Ingle is encouraging everyone to vote and bring their friends and families too.
“As Americans, the best thing to do is exercise our right to vote,” Ingle said.
Ingle said he will visit other polling locations throughout the day, working his way north to end in Graham.
Charles Parker, another candidate for ABSS Board of Education, is spending the day at the Mebane Arts & Community Center. He said it was busy this morning. He talked to voters, trying to speak to everyone. He introduced himself, encouraging voters to cast a ballot for him since he is the only candidate for the board from Mebane.
“Mebane doesn’t have a voice on the Board of Education,” he said.
This is especially important to him when it comes to redistricting.
“Knowledge is detailed,” he said. “Specific input is needed to make decisions.”
He said he feels about “60% certain” that he will be voted onto the board tonight.
Seneca Rogers, a third candidate, said he has been campaigning since the polls opened at 6:30 a.m. He is campaigning at the Mt. Hermon Community Center in Graham, the polling location in his neighborhood.
He said there has been a steady stream of voters, and people have been cordial and polite towards him and other candidates.
Rogers told ENN that he is thanking everyone for coming out to vote, and he believes everyone needs to be involved in the voting process.
“We are the neighborhood,” Rogers said. “This is your chance to vote for the neighborhood.”
Chuck Marsh and Avery Wagoner are the other two candidates running for a seat on the Board of Education. Neither candidate responded to multiple requests for comment at the time of publication.
— Margaret Faust
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 10:52 a.m.
North Carolina House of Representatives District 64 Republican incumbent candidate Dennis Riddell said he is going to polling places across the district today.
“Since the first time I ran for office, I usually start near my home at my local precinct, and then hopscotch across the county and across the district ending on usually the other end of the county,” Riddell said.
Updated as of Nov. 8 at 9:42 a.m.
The United States Justice Department announced Nov. 7 it will monitor polls in certain counties nationwide in an effort to protect federal voting rights laws. This will take place across 24 states in 64 jurisdictions, including Alamance County and four other North Carolina counties.
Monitors include the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of Personnel Management.
Civil Rights Division workers will be available to take complaints related to possible federal voting rights laws violations today. Complaints can visit civilrights.justice.gov or call 800-253-3931.