It is Election Day, North Carolina. 

This evening, results will begin coming in shortly after the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Which means, right about now. You can catch the latest results on this dashboard. (Hint: Make sure to use the dropdown menus to select the election date (March 3, 2026). If you’re looking for local results, select your county from the dropdown menu.)

As Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy explained today, the early voting totals were extraordinary. 

During early voting, 700,965 North Carolinians voted. In the 2022 primaries, that number was 559,095. Even more astonishing, this year’s early voting total is even larger than the primary election early voting numbers in the 2024 election, which, if you recall, was when we voted for president. 

That tells me North Carolinians are very eager to vote.

Kristen Matson votes with her son at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

In my latest edition of Billy Ball Explains NC, I took a look at one primary election I’ll be watching closely tonight. Take a look if you haven’t already.

I hope, if anything, this newsletter left you feeling informed and energized about voting. Here’s what else is in today’s Cardinal & Pine newsletter:

C&P reader Terry Kienle took this impossible-seeming view from on high in Laurel Springs, NC.

We love to see your views from NC, folks. Share them with us by tapping the button below. 

(Nuva Frames/Shutterstock)

Cardinal & Pine contributor Gwen Frisbie-Fulton, who brings a lot of experience in local community organizing, wrote this powerful piece about the difference between being politically informed and being politically active. 

“Is reading about the day’s event, sharing the viral video, knowing who in the administration said what about protestors enough?” she writes. “We often mistake knowing a lot about politics with doing politics. It is easy to confuse the energy of political drama and discussion with true political activity.”

Frisbie-Fulton writes that she’s seeing ordinary people actually get involved in politics right now, from the local folks who showed up in Minneapolis during the ICE raids to rural towns in North Carolina. 

1. Showdown over datacenter politics at heart of North Carolina primary. The Guardian

“In the Durham-area fourth district, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee is seeking her third term against progressive challenger Nida Allam, a Durham county commissioner she defeated in 2022. The heated rematch comes against the backdrop of a major datacenter battle in the district.”

2. Stein urges North Carolinians to be vigilant as war escalates in Iran. NC Newsline

“The U.S. military confirmed on Monday that six Americans have been killed and 18 seriously injured in Operation Epic Fury.”

3. Gas prices rise sharply in NC and nationwide after weekend attack on Iran. News & Observer

“The average price of regular gas rose 15 cents overnight to $2.91 a gallon, according to AAA. The average diesel price is up nearly 18 cents, to $3.75 a gallon.”

4. How ICE turned Charlotte’s Democratic primary into a battleground. The Assembly

“Rep. Carla Cunningham has held her seat with little expense or opposition for more than a decade. But a key vote and a shocking floor speech have turned this year’s primary into one of the most bitter—and important—in the state.”

Startup Women NC is a small, community-focused group that connects female founders with one another, as well as with the resources they need to grow their business.

This is really cool. In recent years, the growth of women-owned businesses has been off the charts. 

But starting a business is still an enormous amount of work. As C&P contributor Britteny Dee writes, it takes “vision, hard work, and a strong support system.”

For women entrepreneurs across North Carolina, you can get the latter in a few ways. Dee wrote this week about 11 resources for potential women business owners in North Carolina. 

Take a look and share this with the aspiring business owners in your network. 

Do you want to support Cardinal & Pine’s mission while showcasing your products or services to an engaged audience of 200,000+ subscribers?

Contact advertise@couriernewsroom.com for more information.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today’s edition includes stories from Michael McElroy, Gwen Frisbie-Fulton, and Britteny Dee. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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