Buncombe County voters turn out in force

Buncombe County reported 131,897 voters in the November 3, 2026 general election, a turnout of 59.9 percent, according to final unofficial figures released by county election officials.

The county counted 97,038 early in-person voters, 30,317 Election Day in-person voters and 4,542 absentee voters.

That is 11,339 more participants than in the 2022 midterm election, when 120,558 voters cast ballots and turnout was 57.6 percent.

The 2018 midterm drew 119,798 voters, representing 60.4 percent of registered voters; this year's participation was higher in raw numbers but slightly lower by percentage.

County officials reported a smooth Election Day across 80 polling locations.

Asheville elects a new mayor

Kim Roney defeated incumbent Esther Manheimer in Asheville's mayoral race, with approximately 58.3 percent of the vote to Manheimer's 41.0 percent in unofficial results.

Roney's victory ends Manheimer's tenure as mayor and sets up a change in leadership at City Hall in 2027.

In the City Council contest, Drew Ball, Maggie Ullman Berthiaume and S. Antanette Mosley won the three seats, according to election-night reporting.

Housing and open-space bonds pass

Buncombe County voters approved both local bond referendums.

The open-space measure received approximately 63.9 percent support, while the housing measure received approximately 58.0 percent support, according to election-night tallies.

The bond approvals authorize county borrowing for the purposes described in the ballot measures; they do not mean every potential project has already been selected or completed.

Sheriff and county commission results

Incumbent Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller defeated challenger Gary Parris.

Democrats Anna Stearns and Lonnie Israel won the contested county commission seats in Districts 1 and 2, respectively, while Al Whitesides was unopposed in District 3.

Western North Carolina congressional results

Democrat Jamie Ager was projected to win North Carolina's 11th Congressional District over Republican Jennifer Balkcom, a contest covering much of Western North Carolina.

Former Governor Roy Cooper was projected to win North Carolina's U.S. Senate election over Michael Whatley.

Those broader races are included here for regional context; the results and margins referenced in this article are preliminary election-night figures.

What happens next

All reported results remain unofficial until the canvass process is completed.

Buncombe County lists Friday, November 13, as the scheduled canvass date, when the board reviews and finalizes the results.

Readers can consult Buncombe County Election Services and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for the official canvass and any subsequent updates.

For 828 Daily readers, the strongest immediate stories are the turnout milestone, Asheville's change in mayoral leadership and the decisions on housing and open-space bonds.