Polls opened at 6:30 Tuesday morning across North Carolina for voters to make their voices heard in the 2016 election.

Eyes have been focused on North Carolina from all across the country as the state has been called a “must-have” if Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is going to win the White House. While campaigning for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in Chapel Hill last week, President Barack Obama said if Clinton won the Tar Heel state, then she would win the entire election.

“I hate to put a little pressure on you,” Obama said, “but the fate of the republic rests on your shoulders. The fate of the world is teetering, and you – North Carolina – are going to have to make sure that we push it in the right direction.”

The state could also decide which party controls the United States Senate. Recent polling has shown Democratic challenger Deborah Ross and Republican incumbent Senator Richard Burr locked in a dead heat in North Carolina.

And North Carolinians have been subject to one of the most expensive and contentious gubernatorial races on the ballot in 2016. Democratic challenger Attorney General Roy Cooper has been holding a slight lead over Republican incumbent Governor Pat McCrory, but the race has been tightening recently.

Orange County set a record for early voting this election cycle.

Voters must vote at their precinct on Election Day; you can see a full list of Orange County voting locations here. Polls are open across North Carolina until 7:30 Tuesday night.

WCHL will have election updates throughout the day and live coverage beginning at seven o’clock Tuesday night.

Related Stories
‹
2 Years After Hurricane Helene, Where Does Relief Fall Short in North Carolina? – On Air Today (September 29, 2026)
Public Policy Analyst Alex Campbell joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, September 29 shortly after the two-year mark of Hurricane Helene.
Trump Refers to Black Man From Racially Offensive 1988 Campaign Ad While Stumping in North Carolina
During a stop in North Carolina, Trump referenced one of the most controversial campaign advertisements that relied on racist tropes.
Postal Service Work To Comply With Trump’s Executive Order Is Rushed and Sloppy, a Whistleblower Contends
The U.S. Postal Service is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting.
Longtime Chatham County Educator Wins $10 Million Lottery Prize
The North Carolina Education Lottery office revealed that Jean Johnson, who teaches in Chatham County, is the winner of a $10 million prize.
Theodore Nollert on North Carolina's Budget Corrections Bill and Its Process – On Air Today (August 26, 2026)
Theodore Nollert — the directory of policy for Carolina Forward and a Chapel Hill Town Council member — joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, August 26.
UNC Health Expands, Rebrands Venture Capital Efforts of Emerging Tech
The statewide healthcare system announced Rex Health Ventures platform is now UNC Health Ventures and will use $125 million to invest in emerging health tech companies.
Corporate Tax Cuts, Prediction Market Leeway, and Underfunding Education: Why Orange County's Legislators Voted Against NC's Budget
All three of Orange County’s state representatives voted against North Carolina's updated budget, citing issues with its contents and construction.
On the Porch: Dr. James Wood - Sports Around the World
This Week: James Wood is currently Professor of Latin American and modern world history at North Carolina A&T State University. He is the author of The Society of Equality: Popular Republicanism and Democracy in Santiago de Chile, 1818-1851 and the co-editor of "Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations", now in its fifth edition with Rowman and Littlefield. As a Fulbright scholar for Chile in 2016 he was a visiting professor at the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago (where he observed Chilean student activism up close).
On the Porch: Bill Brown - Art and Science Merge at NCMA
This Week: Bill Brown joined the North Carolina Museum of Art as a Conservation Intern in 1988. Thirty-two years later he retired from the Art Museum as Chief Conservator.  He received his M.A. and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Conservation from State University College at Buffalo, NY in 1989. At the Museum, he established the Art + Science Initiative, a collaborative program with Duke University math and science departments. Bill has a passion for Italian Old Master Paintings of the 14th to 18th century. He works part-time as a conservator in private practice and provides conservation support for the Museum and Gallery collection of old master paintings at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC . He enjoys retirement with his wife and young adult son.
On the Porch: Nora Gaskin - Conjuring Crime Stories
This Week: Author Nora Gaskin is a lifelong resident of the Durham-Chapel Hill area. Her latest is novel is "Lammie Loves Cubby". Nora has a bachelor’s degree in English with Honors in Creative Writing from UNC, and a Masters in English from the University of Washington in Seattle. She spent over 24 years as a stockbroker and financial advisor in the Durham office of a major investment firm. She retired in 2005 to focus on writing. She is the publisher at Lystra Books and Literary Services and the author of three novels and one nonfiction book. She lives and writes in Chatham County, inspired by her native landscape, her husband, and dogs. Her favorite word is "gratitude."
›