Cornelius-area voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, with four contested races and three constitutional amendments on the ballot.

No town positions in Cornelius are up for election until next year, according to Cornelius Today. But the ballot still carries a nationally watched U.S. Senate contest, a congressional race, two state legislative seats and a property-tax amendment that Cornelius officials have publicly opposed.

Here is what Lake Norman-area residents will see when they vote.

U.S. Senate

Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, faces Republican Michael Whatley for the seat held by Sen. Thom Tillis, who chose not to seek reelection.

Cooper served as North Carolina's governor from 2017 to 2025. His campaign has centered on affordable living and working across the aisle, according to Cornelius Today reporter Dave Vieser. Whatley has never held elected office but has held party leadership roles, including chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). He chaired the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024, according to his Wikipedia profile. His campaign has focused on crime, illegal immigration and the economy.

The race has drawn national attention because the outcome could affect the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate, Cornelius Today reported.

U.S. House, District 14

Incumbent Rep. Tim Moore, a Republican, faces Democrat Lakesha Womack.

Moore previously served in the North Carolina House of Representatives, including 10 years as speaker. He sits on the House Committee on the Budget, according to his GovTrack profile. His campaign has focused on fiscal responsibility.

Womack has not previously held elected public office. She has two decades of experience in financial services and small-business development, according to Cornelius Today.

N.C. Senate, District 37

Incumbent Sen. Vickie Sawyer, a Republican, is seeking reelection against Democrat Raygan Angel.

Sawyer chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and has focused on transportation infrastructure, education and conservative principles, according to Cornelius Today. Angel is a law student and Democratic organizer who has never held elected public office, the outlet reported.

N.C. House, District 98

This race carries the strongest local connection. Incumbent Beth Helfrich, a Democrat and third-generation Davidson resident, faces Republican John Rhodes, a former Cornelius town commissioner and former state representative.

Rhodes served on the Cornelius Town Board from 2001 to 2003, then represented District 98 in the N.C. House from 2003 to 2007, according to election records compiled by BallotReady. He lost his final reelection bid to Thom Tillis, according to a Cornelius Today profile. Rhodes has focused his campaign on roads and transportation, cost of living and public safety. He also chairs the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Roundtable, according to his campaign website.

Helfrich won the seat in 2024. Republicans finished that election with 71 of the House's 120 seats, one short of the three-fifths supermajority needed to override a governor's veto. Helfrich was one of the Democratic candidates elected that year, according to Cornelius Today. She has emphasized communication with constituents and responsible growth during her first term.

Mecklenburg County offices

All county races on the Cornelius-area ballot are uncontested. Democrats Leigh Altman, Yvette Townsend-Ingram and Arthur Griffin Jr. are running unopposed for three at-large Board of Commissioners seats. Morris "Mac" McAdoo, also a Democrat, is unopposed for the District 1 commissioner seat. Elisa Chinn-Gary is running unopposed for Clerk of Superior Court. Sheriff Garry McFadden, who won a four-way Democratic primary earlier this year, faces no Republican opponent.

Three constitutional amendments

Amendment 1 would require all voters to present photo identification before voting, expanding the current in-person-only requirement.

Amendment 2 would cap the state income tax rate at 3.5%.

Amendment 3 would require limits on property tax increases by local governments. Cornelius commissioners adopted a resolution opposing the measure earlier this year, arguing it would reduce local control and make it harder for towns to fund essential services, according to Cornelius Today.