NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTION GASTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA   The statewide primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find out more at ncsbe.gov/voter-id. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, February 12, 2026, through Saturday, February 28, 2026. • Gaston County Board of Elections Office – 410 West Franklin Boulevard, Suite 30, Gastonia, NC 28052 • Gaston County Citizens Resource Center – 1303 Dallas-Cherryville Highway, Dallas, NC 28034 • Mount Holly Municipal Complex – 400 East Central Avenue, Mount Holly, NC 28120 • Gaston County Main Library – 1555 East Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia, NC 28054 Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have requested them beginning January 12, 2026. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on March 3, 2026. A voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe.gov, or by filling out a request form provided by the county board of elections office. The request must be received through the website or by the Gaston County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. February 17, 2026. In the primary election, voters will select nominees for a political party to move on to the general election on November 3rd. Contests on the ballot include U. S. Senate, U.S. House, N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice, N.C. Court of Appeals Judge, N.C. House, and county offices. In the primary, voters affiliated with a political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party, if their party has a primary. Unaffiliated voters may choose to vote in any party’s primary, but they may select only one party’s ballot. The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Friday, February 6, 2026. Eligible individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site during the early voting period. Individuals registering to vote at an early voting site will be required to provide current documentation of their residence (for example, a government ID, other government document, or a paycheck, bank statement, or utility bill). Voters who wish to change party affiliation must do so by the February 6 deadline.  Questions? Call the Gaston County Board of Elections Office at (704) 852-6005 or send an email to elections@gastongov.com. C. Grainger Pierce, Jr., Chair Gaston County Board of Elections 11993085 1/16 1/23 1/30 2/6 2/13 2/20 2/27/26