Wilson County Test Data Mistake Pulls State Results
Test data mixed into Wilson County's election-night uploads led the state board to remove and later correct results on its website.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Wilson County uploaded logic and accuracy test data mixed with Election Day results to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website on election night. The state board removed the county's results and later posted corrected figures.
Why it matters
The error briefly showed about 7,000 erroneous absentee ballots for a Senate District 4 candidate, affecting public confidence in how results are reported statewide. The state board found no evidence of tampering and said it will review Wilson County's operations with county officials.
Erroneous results showed about 7,000 absentee ballots for Jess Rivera in Senate District 4 before being removed from the state website. Wilson County was the only one of North Carolina's 100 counties to face this kind of upload problem.
The players
North Carolina State Board of Elections
The state agency that oversees election administration and publishes county-reported results for North Carolina voters.
The details
Wilson County uploaded precinct data in batches of eight between 10:30 p.m. and midnight on Election Day, and the first upload included unzeroed logic and accuracy test results. After the error was flagged, the county zeroed out the test results and re-uploaded precinct data from actual voting.
Timeline
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, around 9 p.m.: The initial upload included test data and suspect absentee ballots.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, 10:30 p.m. to midnight: Voting data was uploaded eight precincts at a time.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, around 11:30 p.m.: Final results finished uploading to the state website.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, 11 a.m.: County staff will hand-eye count sample ballots from precincts E and P.
Political Context
County-reported results flow to the North Carolina State Board of Elections through a batch upload process that depends on equipment being properly zeroed after logic and accuracy testing. This incident shows how a single missed step in that process can briefly misstate results on the state's public website.
Voters checking North Carolina's state results online on election night may have seen temporarily incorrect figures for Wilson County. The state board removed those results and posted corrected numbers, so the final public totals reflect the county's actual vote.
The takeaway
Election results are only as reliable as the checks applied before they are published. Watching official state and county sites for corrections is a practical way to confirm final numbers.
What happens next
County staff will hand-eye count sample ballots from precincts E and P on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at 11 a.m.
Further reading
For more background on how the state runs its voting process, see Elections coverage for North Carolina.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Wilson Times News.
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