Arden, North Carolina Public Records

Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended hours before elections. Local residents register to vote through the North Carolina State Board of Elections online portal at https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx or https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering. The state allows online voter registration for citizens with a valid North Carolina driver's license or DMV-issued ID. The registration deadline is 25 days before any election. Voters can also register in person at the Buncombe County Board of elections, at early voting sites during the early voting period (the state offers same-day registration during early voting), or by mail using a paper application. North Carolina requires voters to provide their Social Security number (last four digits) and date of birth for registration purposes. Residents who move within Buncombe County must update their registration with their new address. Because the community is unincorporated, there are no municipal elections for mayor or town council specific to the area. Residents vote in federal, state, and county elections. The area is located in North Carolina House District 116 and North Carolina Senate District 49 (districts subject to change following redistricting). For county government, residents vote for Buncombe County Commissioners (seven seats elected at-large), Sheriff, Register of Deeds, and other county offices. Residents can find their assigned polling place by using the Voter Search tool on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. By entering name and date of birth, or county and name, voters can view their registration status, current address on file, precinct, polling place location, and sample ballot for upcoming elections. Typical polling locations include community centers, schools, and churches in southern Buncombe County. Election records that are public in North Carolina include voter registration lists (available for purchase by authorized requesters such as candidates and political committees), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and committees (searchable at https://www.ncsbe.gov/campaign-finance), candidate filings, precinct-level election results, and early voting and absentee statistics. The North Carolina State Board of Elections provides detailed election results at https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data for all federal, state, and local races broken down by county and precinct. In the November 2024 presidential election, Buncombe County reported approximately 148,000 registered voters with turnout exceeding 75%, reflecting Buncombe County's high civic engagement. The county has trended increasingly Democratic in recent elections, particularly in the Asheville urban core, though southern areas including this community show more mixed partisan leanings with competitive results in many races. The November 3, 2026 election (actually the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, which would be November 3, 2026) will feature several significant races for local voters. North Carolina will hold elections for all U.S. House seats (North Carolina's 14 congressional districts, with the area in the 11th District), though U.S. Senate Class II seats are not up in 2026 (North Carolina's seats are Class II and Class III, with Class III up in 2024 and 2028). However, if any vacancies occur, special elections could be held. At the state level, 2026 is not a gubernatorial election year in North Carolina (gubernatorial elections are held in presidential years: 2024, 2028, etc.), but all 120 North Carolina House seats and all 50 North Carolina Senate seats will be on the ballot. Locally, Buncombe County will elect county commissioners, sheriff, and other constitutional officers depending on the election cycle. Judicial elections for District Court and Superior Court judges serving the county may appear on the ballot. North Carolina voters can request absentee ballots for any reason. Requests can be submitted through the State Board of Elections online portal at https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home, or by completing a paper absentee ballot request form available from the Buncombe County Board of elections. The request deadline is 5:00 PM on the Tuesday before Election Day. Completed absentee ballots must be returned by mail (postmarked by Election Day and received within three days) or delivered in person to the Buncombe County Board of elections by 7:30 PM on Election Day. North Carolina also offers extensive early voting, typically beginning 17 days before Election Day and running through the Saturday before Election Day at multiple locations throughout Buncombe County. The county board of elections website publishes early voting site locations, dates, and hours approximately 60 days before each election.