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The Decent Ballot  /  North Carolina  /  Buncombe County  /  Asheville  /  Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Asheville, NC

Who on your ballot seems like good people, in a sentence or two each, with sources. Fill out your ballot in ten minutes.

best choice in the race Seems like good people Compromised Not good people Not enough info

Who is running in Asheville, North Carolina in 2026

Asheville Mayor
Esther Manheimer and Kim Roney
Asheville City Council
Drew Ball, Maggie Ullman Berthiaume, S. Antanette Mosley, Sheneika E. Smith, Jeffrey Burroughs and Keith Young
Asheville City Board of Education
Sarah Thornburg, Rebecca Strimer, Liza English-Kelly, Gordon Grant, Daniel Shetley and Daria Datnoff

Asheville elections

City races are nonpartisan. The new mayor and council take over a city still spending Hurricane Helene recovery money and facing a budget gap of about $30 million. The Asheville City Schools board is elected by city voters.

Mayor

Vote for one

A rematch of 2022, when Manheimer won 21,032 votes to Roney's 17,918. Both back affordable housing, the city's reparations effort and sending non-police responders to some calls. We found nothing that separates them on character, so we don't make a pick.

Esther Manheimer

Seems like good people

Mayor since 2013, seeking a fourth term; city council 2009 to 2013; attorney at Van Winkle Law Firm

Supports the city's reparations commission, shifting some police duties to other departments and using recovery money for permanent supportive housing. Says Helene funding gives the city "a transformational moment."

Sources: Branch, WLOS

Kim Roney

Seems like good people

City council member since 2020; music teacher and piano technician; former station manager at AshevilleFM

Running on affordability, climate and neighborhood resilience, and responders with the "right tools and training" for calls about addiction, homelessness and mental health. Says her top priority is "more funding and ensuring local's benefit."

Sources: WFAE, Branch, WLOS

City Council

Vote for three

Six candidates survived a 20-person March primary for three seats; Ball and Ullman led it. Mosley, Smith and Ullman are incumbents. All six are running on Helene recovery and housing costs, and we found nothing in their records that would lower our rating of any of them, so we don't pick three.

Drew Ball

Seems like good people

Buncombe County commissioner (appointed to a vacancy); Southeast campaigns director at the Natural Resources Defense Council; volunteer firefighter with Reynolds VFD

Says "Recovery must also protect affordability. If rebuilding pushes people out, then we've missed the point." Wants as much of the city's $225 million in federal recovery money as possible spent "keeping people in their homes."

Sources: WLOS, WUNC, Branch

Maggie Ullman Berthiaume

Seems like good people

Council member since December 2022; the city's first sustainability director; climate consultant

Wants neighborhood resilience hubs with backup power and refrigerators for medicine during outages.

Sources: WUNC, WLOS, Branch

S. Antanette Mosley

Seems like good people

Vice mayor; appointed to council in 2020 and elected in 2022; attorney; former director of resource development at Mountain Housing Opportunities

Chairs the council's housing committee. Wants faster home repairs and to close the gap on the roughly 7,000 approved housing units that haven't all been built.

Sources: WLOS, Branch

Sheneika E. Smith

Seems like good people

Council member since 2017; chairs the Equity and Engagement Committee; president of Date My City

Pointed to the council's rejection of Caribou Commons, a 100-unit affordable housing project Shiloh residents opposed, saying "community engagement has to mean something." Wants co-responder teams for behavioral and mental health calls.

Sources: WUNC, WLOS, Branch

Jeffrey Burroughs

Seems like good people

Artist and small business owner; president of the River Arts District Artists; first run for office

Helped lead the River Arts District's rebuilding after Helene and wants affordable studio space and "trauma-informed" public safety with more mental health response teams. Says "Affordable housing policy should be judged by whether the people who make Asheville work can afford to stay."

Sources: WLOS, WUNC, Branch

Keith Young

Seems like good people

City council member 2015 to 2020; former deputy clerk of Superior Court; co-founder of the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville

Wants a public dashboard to track Helene rebuilding and to move homeless people quickly from the street into shelter and supportive housing. On taxes: "If we don't manage our money right, you can't manage your money right."

Sources: WLOS, WUNC, Branch

Asheville City Board of Education

Vote for four

Nonpartisan. Three of the four incumbents elected in 2022 are running again. Our picks are the three incumbents and Grant, a retired Asheville principal; we found nothing on Datnoff and little on Shetley.

Sarah Thornburg

Seems like good people (best choice in this race)

Board chair, elected 2022; attorney at McGuire Wood & Bissette; former high school social studies teacher

Says closing the opportunity gap is her top priority.

Sources: Branch

Rebecca Strimer

Seems like good people (best choice in this race)

Board member since 2022; social worker

On the board, backed using federal pandemic relief money right away for student mental health, and wants health centers in Asheville City Schools buildings.

Sources: Branch

Liza English-Kelly

Seems like good people (best choice in this race)

Board member since 2022; founding teacher at Little Field School; former assistant teacher at Asheville Primary

Wants a "living wage" for teachers, anti-bias training for staff, and district employees allowed to vote for the board.

Sources: Branch

Gordon Grant

Seems like good people (best choice in this race)

Retired principal and outdoor educator; former teacher and assistant principal at Asheville Middle School and principal of the Randolph Learning Center

Wants to look at a year-round or balanced calendar to cut summer learning loss. First run for office.

Sources: Branch

Daniel Shetley

Not enough info

Real estate agent; adult provider specialist at Western Highlands Network; former mental health case manager; first run for office

We found no platform or news coverage.

Sources: Branch

Daria Datnoff

Not enough info

First run for office

We found no campaign site, platform or news coverage.

Sources: Branch

Also on your ballot

Every Buncombe County voter also picks in these races. Full write-ups on the Buncombe County page.

When and where to vote

Register by
Friday, October 9, at 5 p.m. (forms postmarked or delivered by then). Missed it? You can register and vote the same day at any early voting site; bring a photo ID and a document with your current name and address, such as a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck. Check your registration with the state voter lookup.
Early voting
Thursday, October 15 to Saturday, October 31, at 13 sites; any Buncombe voter can use any site. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, October 17 and 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; last day, Saturday, October 31, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sunday, October 18. Sites: the East Asheville, North Asheville, West Asheville, South Buncombe, Black Mountain, Enka-Candler and Fairview libraries; the Wesley Grant Southside Center and Friendship Center in Asheville; the Leicester Community Center; the Weaverville Community Center; and the Bee Tree (Swannanoa) and Upper Hominy (Candler) fire stations. Addresses and schedule (PDF).
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., at your assigned polling place. Find yours. Same-day registration is not offered on Election Day.
Mail ballot
Any registered voter can vote by mail, no reason needed. Request it by 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, on the state's request portal. Mark it in front of two witnesses or a notary, and include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID (or an ID exception form). The ballot must arrive at the Buncombe County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day; a postmark doesn't count. You can also hand it in at any early voting site or at Election Services, 35 Woodfin St., Asheville, but not at a polling place on Election Day.
Drop boxes
None. North Carolina law doesn't allow them.
Bring
A valid photo ID, such as a North Carolina driver's license or state ID; the state list has every accepted ID. Free voter IDs are available at the elections office, 35 Woodfin St. If you don't have an ID you can still vote by filling out an ID exception form, or vote a provisional ballot and bring your ID to the elections office before the county canvass on November 13; call 828-250-4200 for the exact deadline.
Your ballot
This guide is built from the county's official notice of contests (PDF) and the state's referendum list (PDF). There are 32 ballot styles in the county, and yours has only your districts. See it through the state voter lookup or at buncombenc.gov/vote. Questions: Buncombe County Election Services, 828-250-4200.

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Last updated October 11, 2026.