North Carolina

State of North Carolina Elections & Voting

Election Day is November 5

  • October 11                   Deadline to register to vote (same-day registration is allowed at early voting sites, but not on election day)
  • October 17                   First day of early in-person voting
  • October 29                  Deadline to request an absentee ballot
  • November 2                Last day of early in-person voting
  • November 5                Absentee ballot return deadline
  • November 5                Election Day

 

To register to vote in North Carolina, you must:

  • Be a United States citizen
  • Live in the county where you are registering, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to Election Day
  • Be at least 18 years old by the day of the general election
  • Not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole (Find information at Registering as a Person in the NC Criminal System.)

 

How to register to vote:

 

Voter ID Requirements

Voter ID is now required in North Carolina as of 2023. Any of the following that is unexpired, or expired for one year or less is an acceptable ID:

  • North Carolina driver’s license
  • State ID from the NCDMV (also called “non-operator ID”)
  • Driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory (only if voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election)
  • U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card
  • North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections (see Get a Free Voter Photo ID)
  • College or university student ID approved by the State Board of Elections (see list)
  • State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the State Board of Elections (see list)

* A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday.

 

Any of the following, regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date:

  • Military or veterans ID card (with photo) issued by the U.S. government
  • Tribal enrollment card (with photo) issued by a tribe recognized by the state or a tribe recognized by the federal government
  • ID card (with photo) issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program (Note: Although this is an acceptable form of ID under North Carolina law, the State Board is not aware of any such ID in circulation that contains a photo. All IDs for voting are required to have a photo.)

All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID. If a voter cannot show photo ID when voting in person, they can still vote by filling out an ID Exception Form. If absentee-by-mail voters are unable to include a copy of their photo ID with their ballot return envelope, they can also fill out an ID Exception Form with their ballot. Find more information under ID Exceptions.

Visit VoteRiders for more information on voter ID requirements in North Carolina.

 

Early In-Person Voting

Registered voters or eligible individuals in North Carolina may cast an absentee ballot in person during the early voting period. Early voting sites and schedules will be posted to the One-Stop Early Voting Site Search when they become available.

When you check in to vote at an early voting site, you may update your name or address within the same county if necessary. Individuals who are not registered to vote in a county may register and immediately vote at that same site. This process is called “same-day registration.” Find more information at Register in Person During Early Voting.

 

Absentee Voting

Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive, and vote a mail-in absentee ballot. No special circumstance or reason is needed. Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form. There are two ways to access and submit the form:

  1. Online with “Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot” at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
  2. On paper with the N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2024. The form comes with detailed instructions. After completing, submit the form to your county board of elections in person or by mail via the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx, or UPS.

One notary public or two witnesses must be in your presence when you mark your absentee ballot envelope. They should only observe you marking your ballot, not how you vote. Find more information at Detailed Instructions to Vote By Mail.

Voters who receive an absentee ballot by mail may deliver their ballot to their county board of elections office or to an election official at a one-stop early voting site during any time that site is open for voting.

 

Resources

 

Tribes in North Carolina

Federally recognized tribes

  • Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

State recognized tribes

  • Coharie Intra-Tribal Council, Inc.
  • Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe
  • Lumbee Tribe
  • Meherrin Nation
  • Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
  • Sappony
  • Waccamaw-Siouan Tribe

 

Native Vote Coordinators

Sign up to be a local Native Vote coordinator today!

 

Major Party Contact Information

Democrat
Chair, Anderson Clayton
www.ncdp.org

 

Republican
Chair, Michael Whatley
www.ncgop.org

Posted in States.