Voting in Raleigh Looks Different This Year
What’s changed, what to pay attention to, and when to expect CITYBUILDER’s voter guide
If you just voted in November, it’s reasonable to feel like you’re owed a little break. But for Raleigh residents, local elections now start earlier and follow a different rhythm than they used to. Never fear though, we’ve got you covered with a full breakdown of Raleigh’s upcoming election season.
Over the past few years, Raleigh’s local government changed how municipal elections work. Those reforms affect when you’ll first see candidates on the ballot, how races are narrowed, and even the terms that councillors serve. This is our short, practical guide to what’s different and what to keep an eye on next.
Raleigh City Council and Mayoral races now begin with a non-partisan primary that appears on the same ballot as the partisan county primaries you’re used to seeing in even years. In the spring, all the Council candidates run together in these non-partisan Council primaries. In Council district races, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. In at-large City Council races, the top four advance.
This is a significant shift. In many races, the primary will now determine which choices us voters see later in the year. Waiting until the fall to tune in can mean missing the moment when most of the real decisions are effectively made.
Raleigh is also transitioning from two-year terms to four-year, staggered terms for City Council and Mayor. During the transition period, some seats will come up sooner than others. Over time, this change is meant to create more continuity in city leadership while still giving voters regular opportunities to weigh in. If the ballot looks different than it used to, this is why.
All of this makes timing matter more for voters. At a moment when national politics can feel noisy and distant, local elections remain one of the most direct ways to shape our daily life.
At CITYBUILDER, we believe the best decisions come from people who are informed on kitchen table issues. Most of those crucial choices are made locally, with municipal elections shaping decisions about housing, transportation, infrastructure, and neighborhood investment. In a fast-growing city like Raleigh, those decisions often play out over years, not months. Paying attention before the primary gives voters more meaningful choices later.
County elections matter alongside municipal ones. County governments plan and fund schools. They also manage water and sewer systems, stormwater projects, and major infrastructure that shapes how growth happens across municipalities. Together, city and county decisions determine whether growth is coordinated or sprawling, affordable or (increasingly) out of reach.
Over the next couple of weeks, CITYBUILDER will send housing-focused questionnaires to candidates in key local races and prepare a voter guide for our members. That guide will focus on how candidates understand the housing shortage, their willingness to support building more housing, and their approach to zoning and policy decisions that shape Raleigh and the broader Triangle. We will publish it with enough time for voters to use it before casting a ballot in the upcoming primary.
Here are the basic dates to keep on your radar. We’ll share reminders as these get closer.
Candidate filing: Closed in December, 2025. Here’s our recap on who’s running.
Early voting for the Primary: February 12th - February 28th
Primary Election Day: March 3rd
Then in the fall…
Early voting for the general election: October 15th - October 31th
General Election Day: November 3rd
Click through to learn more about when, where and how to vote at your County Board of Elections website:
Durham does not have City Council or County Commission races on the ballot this year, but will have other county offices and state elections to vote on.
As mentioned above, we listed the candidates running in these races here. But we encourage you to reach out to them directly. Ask candidates where they stand on the issues that matter most to you, and how they approach tradeoffs and long-term decisions. That includes asking whether they support building more housing in your city or county, and how they plan to manage the growth we’ll experience over the coming years. You can keep it simple. Even a single conversation or email can help clarify your choices before the ballot arrives.
Subscribe. Become a member. Stay tuned. Local voting may look different this year, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. If you know a friend or neighbor who might not be paying attention yet, consider passing this guide along!