About the League

NC’s Reproductive Healthcare Crisis: Misinformation, Misdirected Funding

LWVODC will also hold a free, half-day symposium called ‘NC’s Reproductive Healthcare Crisis: Misinformation, Misdirected Funding’, Saturday, February 7th, in Chapel Hill. This nonpartisan event will examine NC’s reproductive healthcare system and the growing role of Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs). Speakers will include Dr. Amy Bryant (UNC-CH), Tara Romano of Pro-Choice NC, and Emma Horst-Martz with Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic.

The in-person symposium includes a panel discussion and opportunities for direct civic action, including signing postcards calling for a state audit of CPC funding and adding names to an online petition. There are opportunities to meet & network with partner organizations.

Registration check-in begins at 8:15 am and will be from 9 am to 2 pm. Coffee and pastries will be available until 9 am. Lunch will be provided.

Preregistration is required. Register by Sunday February 1st. Venue location will be shared after registration. All members and friends are invited.

Everything you need to know about the March 3, 2026 Primary Election

The midterm election primaries are early this year; early voting begins on February 12!

You may think, with so many candidates, that your vote doesn’t matter. IT DOES! Don’t give your power away by ignoring these important primary races. Research and pick the most qualified candidates to support.

The primary in Buncombe County is anticipated to be among the most watched U.S. Senate races in the country, as well as city and county seats, North Carolina General Assembly and U.S. House of Representatives’ District 11, where Rep. Chuck Edwards is vying to keep his seat.

Local races include school board, Buncombe County commissioners, sheriff, district attorney and a large slate of Asheville City Council candidates. Plus, a mayoral race face-off between the incumbent and a sitting member of council — though they will not appear in the primary. The primary decides who will compete in the general election in November.

Important dates:

January 12: County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.
February 6: Voter Registration deadline (5 pm)
February 12: In-person Early Voting begins
February 17: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 pm)
February 28: Early Voting ends at 3 pm
March 3: Primary Election Day
March 3: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 pm)
March 13: Official election results available

If you vote on election day, you MUST be registered to vote by February 6 at 5 pm.

You CAN REGISTER AND VOTE during Early Voting (but you can’t do both on Election Day!)

Engage in local government and the democratic process

Asheville Citizen Times, December 21, 2025

I was pleased to see the article on the recent meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Elections that had valuable information for voters. The League of Women Voters Asheville-Buncombe County regularly has observers at Boards of Elections in multiple counties where we have members — Buncombe, Madison, McDowell and Transylvania.

Other leagues across the state, including our neighbor Henderson County, also have observers in multiple counties. We share our reports to be able to watch for trends and flag potential problems. A recent trend that is disturbing is eliminating early voting sites at a number of colleges and universities, including community colleges and minority serving institutions. The mission of the League is ‘Empowering Votes, Defending Democracy.’ Our voter education, registration, and outreach efforts are focused on providing all the information they need to cast their ballot; we remind them that your vote is your voice.

Leagues across the state are expanding the government groups that they observe. Locally we are starting with the Boards of Education for Buncombe County and Asheville city and the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Board.

All North Carolina residents are encouraged to observe the various boards and commissions at the town, city, county, and state level. The schedule of meetings is available on line and some provide a remote viewing option. We all should be engaged in our governments and democratic processes.

Suzanne Fisher, Black Mountain
President League of Women Voters Asheville-Buncombe County

Don’t miss SUFFS — the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about the women who changed America! Performances will run March 10-15, 2026 in Charlotte. Click here for tickets.

The League of Women Voters North Carolina has arranged for a block of tickets for the March 15th matinee. If you’re interested in attending that performance, you can find more information here. Seats have been reserved for League members and friends in two excellent sections: Grand Tier and Mezzanine. (*Choose the starred seats.)

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, volunteer-based, political organization consisting of women and men passionate about our democracy. Born out of the national women’s suffrage movement in 1920, the League continues to work to serve the needs of the voting public and protect the rights of all voters.

Our efforts are two-fold:
Voters Service, Citizen Education – presenting unbiased, nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process and current issues.

Action, Advocacy – following education on the issue(s), action is taken towards enacting policies in the public interest and striking down policies harmful to society.

A just society is derived from a democracy consisting of an engaged and educated public that has faith in the political process.

The League of Women Voters is a membership organization encouraging action and advocacy as a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation. To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, funds are derived from the Florence Ryan Education Fund, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to building citizen participation in democratic process, studying key community issues at all government levels in an unbiased manner, and enabling people to seek positive solutions to public policy issues through education and conflict management.

The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County currently offers meetings and events for members as well as educational programs for the public. Quarterly member events include two meetings each year, a Holiday Social in winter and an Annual Luncheon & Meeting in May or June. League action teams and committees also hold regular meetings for the members involved in those groups.

Join us! Check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. And check out our YouTube Channel for past meetings and voting issues we’re involved with. Our Calendar page has upcoming events.

Connect with your State League: North Carolina League of Women Voters
Connect with the National League: National League of Women Voters

Our chapter is centered around Buncombe County and includes several adjoining counties. This is the homeland of the Cherokee and other nations. We recognize the sovereignty and traditional territories of these local tribal nations, the treaties used to remove them, and the histories of dispossession. We honor and respect the many diverse indigenous people who came before us, who are still here, and who are connected to the land on which we reside.