Board of Elections Absentee Meeting | Oct. 6, 2026

The Buncombe County Board of Elections held an absentee meeting, identified in the title as Oct. 6, 2026. Staff reported that early-voting machines had been tested and retested for accuracy and that training was underway for approximately 600 poll workers. The board discussed notices to a little over 4,000 voters about missing or mismatched ID numbers, clarifying that providing the information is voluntary and does not affect their ability to vote. Staff also reviewed early-voting dates and locations and the absentee ballot request deadline.

Staff reported 4,954 absentee ballots issued: 4,239 civilian, 31 military, and 684 overseas. The board voted to disapprove six ballots with non-curable deficiencies and approved a batch of 262 ballots (192 civilian, three military, and 67 overseas). The board also voted to move the next meeting’s election-day machine testing to Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m.; staff said 10% of the machines would be tested. No procurement, contract award, or purchasing activity was identified.