ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. -- The Rockingham Board of Elections reviewed issues that surfaced during the early voting window for the razor-thin race for Senate District 26, as officials turn their attention to improving voting locations ahead of future elections.
Incumbent North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger submitted a request to both the Guilford and Rockingham Board of Elections to conduct a "hand-to-eye" recount, in response to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page's 23-vote lead remaining firm despite several voter protests being filed by the Berger campaign.
On Thursday, March 19, the Board of Elections for both counties determined there was probable cause for these proposed concerns -- highlighting potential voting discrepancies that allegedly impacted a total of 13 voters.
Of these four protests that were filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBOE), the implications included the following:
- A voter who moved counties was denied the opportunity to vote due to registration issues
- A voter whose party affiliation changed from Democrat to Unaffiliated was not processed
- Three unaffiliated voters who originally requested a Democratic ballot, but attempted to switch out for a Republican ballot during the process of voting -- which state law denies
- Eight Guilford County voters did not receive an election ballot with the Senate District 26 race
From these "hand-to-eye" recounts that were conducted in both counties, officials confirm there were no changes made to the reported totals and no discrepancies arose.
Following this development, Senator Berger, who has led the Republican majority in the state Senate since 2011 and previously secured 13 straight elections by double-digit margins, has conceded in this primary election race.
In a statement shared with ABC 45 news on Tuesday afternoon, Berger, who received a campaign endorsement from President Donald Trump, expressed his emotions toward this rollercoaster end to one of the closest legislative races in state history.
"While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory," Berger said. "Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state's outlook and reputation. In the months ahead, I will also do everything I can to support all Republican Senate candidates and protect our supermajority."
During the Rockingham Board of Elections' regularly scheduled meeting, discussions centered on implementing measures to reduce potential voter discrepancies in future elections.
Bert Jones, who currently serves as the Board of Elections' secretary, describes the whirlwind of voter reviews that board members faced in the aftermath of this closely-contested primary election race.
"I heard a number of people say that for the last couple of weeks or so, we've pretty much been in the center of the bloom of the universe," Jones said.
Jones also commended the efforts of district officials in ensuring swift, yet accurate results throughout the entirety of this race.
However, over the course of this meeting, some board members noted several documented issues with those who participated in the early voting process -- including concerns about the logistics of polling place locations.
Wally White, who serves as a board member, explains that the initial feedback revealed various problems that need to be addressed before future elections.
"I did not receive a lot of positive comments on this new location," White said. "Certainly, the Eden early location not only received negative comments, but I believe that we have to look for a new location before the November vote."
This location in question was the designated location for one-stop early voting in Eden, North Carolina, which was held at the Eden City Hall.
According to election officials, some voters -- especially those of older ages -- reported problems with experiencing limited accessibility. Board members added that these issues affected disabled voters.
In preparation for hosting future voting sessions, White emphasizes that considering location changes can help prevent similar issues -- many of which became more pronounced due to the nature of this down-to-the-wire election race.
"I actually appreciate wanting to move to publicly owned locations instead of private locations and churches," White said. "I've talked to multiple city employees so far, and I haven't found anyone who's got a suggestion of a place that's owned by the City of Eden that would work any better."
Toward the end of this meeting, the final results of the 2026 Primary Election voting totals across Rockingham County were released and are listed as follows:
- 10,354 residents participated in the early voting process
- 7,845 voters were recorded on election day
- 97 provisional votes accepted by the board of elections
- 93 absentee ballots (mailed in) accepted by the board of elections
Paula Seamster, who currently serves as the director of the Rockingham County Board of Elections, stresses that the assistance provided by precinct officials at these voting locations played a key role in keeping operations organized and efficient.
"A lot of them were very pleased with the sites, but there were some issues they thought got better as time went on," Seamster said. "I can say that this election did run smoothly, and precinct officials were ready for any challenge that may have come about."
After securing the republican candidacy for the Senate District 26 primary election, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page now advances to the general election that will be conducted this November.
Page will be facing off against Steve Luking, who is the selected Democratic candidate on this ballot.