Orange County Midterm Results Go Live Online

The Daily Tar Heel is publishing live updates of Orange County midterm election results on Election Day.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single plain ballot box silhouette in deep navy against a cream field, evoking civic voting. — Orange County voters cast ballots Tuesday in North Carolina's midterm elections, with Senate, U.S. House, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeals races on the ballot. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support requiring photo ID to vote in North Carolina?

The Daily Tar Heel is providing live updates of Orange County midterm election results over the course of Election Day, November 4, 2026. The ballot includes races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 4, state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and State Senate District 23, along with three state constitutional amendments.

Why it matters

Voters in North Carolina are deciding a range of federal, state, and local races alongside constitutional amendments that would affect voter identification and state and local tax policy. Live reporting gives residents a running view of results as they are tallied.

The ballot proposes a 3.5 percent cap on the state income tax rate, alongside a photo ID requirement for voting and limits on local property tax rates. Final results for these amendments and all listed races were not available in the source material.

The players

The Daily Tar Heel

The Daily Tar Heel is the student-run newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which serves the Orange County community.

Roy Cooper

Roy Cooper is a Democratic former governor of North Carolina who is a candidate in the state's U.S. Senate race.

Michael Whatley

Michael Whatley is a Republican candidate in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race who previously led the Republican National Committee.

The details

Orange County ballot items include a U.S. Senate race between Roy Cooper (D), Michael Whatley (R), Shannon W. Bray (L) and Michael Dublin (G), and a U.S. House District 4 race featuring Valerie P. Foushee (D). Judicial contests include N.C. Supreme Court Seat 1 with Anita Earls (D) and Sarah Stevens (R), and three N.C. Court of Appeals seats. Orange County Sheriff candidate Charles Blackwood (D) also appears on the ballot.

• November 4, 2026: Election Day, when live midterm result updates were published.

Political Context

The three amendments on this ballot follow the North Carolina constitutional amendment process, which requires voter approval before any change takes effect. Opponents and supporters of such measures have historically debated whether tax and voter ID changes belong in the state constitution rather than in statute.

Residents of Orange County can follow the live updates to see how local and statewide races and amendments are tallied. The outcome of the income tax cap and voter ID amendments would directly affect how state taxes and voting are handled.

The takeaway

Ballot measures on taxes and voter ID can have lasting effects beyond a single election, so reviewing each amendment's text before voting is worthwhile. Following official county results alongside live reporting helps confirm final outcomes.