North Carolina

  • Early Voting (dates below)
  • Voter Rights Restoration (details below)
  • NC Voter website

Upcoming Elections

Currently there are no upcoming elections in North Carolina.

Last Updated: August 2024

Voting in North Carolina

When You Can Vote

The 2024 General Election date is Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Polling places will be open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM on Election Day. Any voter in line at their assigned polling place at 7:30 PM will be able to vote.

Where You Can Vote

Election Day polling places can be determined by checking the North Carolina Board of Elections website: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/. Voters must vote at their assigned polling place on Election Day. If you are unable to vote at your assigned polling place, you can still vote a provisional ballot.

Registering to Vote

Registration Deadlines

  • For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in North Carolina if you:

  • Are a U.S. citizen
  • Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
  • Are a resident of North Carolina
  • Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in North Carolina if:

  • You were disqualified from voting due to a court order
  • You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction

Restorative Requirements

  • If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You are able to pre-register:

  • At the age of 17
  • At the age 16

17-year-olds may vote in a primary election if they will be 18 at the time of the general election

How to register 

Eligibility

To register to vote in North Carolina, you must: 

  • (1) Be a U.S. citizen;
  • (2) Live in the county where the voter is registering, and have resided in the precinct within that county for which the voter is registering for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election; 
  • (3) Be at least 18 years old, or will be by the date of the general election; and
    • 16 and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote. 
    • 17-year-olds may vote in a primary election if they will be 18 at the time of the general election.
  • (4) Not currently serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole. Once the period of supervision is over, a person convicted of a felony automatically regains the right to vote (but will need to re-register).
    • Note: When you are convicted of a misdemeanor, you do not lose your right to vote, even if you are incarcerated.

Registration Status

Voters can check their registration status here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. 

How to Register

Voters have 4 options for registering to vote: 

(4) Same Day: If the voter misses the regular voter registration deadline, they may register and vote at the same time at any early-voting site in their county during the early voting period. Sites and hours for early-voting sites vary and are available at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite/ or by calling the voter’s county board of elections office.

Early Voting & Voting by Absentee Ballot

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

  • In-Person
  • By Mail
  • Online

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

  • In-Person
  • By Mail

No Excuse to Vote Absentee

No reason is required to vote by mail. Any registered voter may vote by mail in an election in North Carolina.

Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot For the 2024 General Elections, absentee ballot requests must be received by the county board of elections no later than 5:00 pm ET on October 29, 2024. County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form on September 6, 2024.  

How to Request an Absentee Ballot

Deadline to Return Absentee Ballot 

Mailed absentee ballots will be timely if the County Board of Elections receives the ballot by 7:30 PM on Election Day, November 5, 2024. NOTE: Voters who vote by mail must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID or complete the ID Exception Form with the absentee ballot return envelope.

If the voter chooses not to return their completed absentee ballot by mail, the voter can return the completed absentee ballot in person at the voter’s county board of elections or at any open early voting site in the voter’s county at any time the site is open for voting. On Election Day, voters must return the ballot in-person at the county board of elections office by 7:30 PM.

Early Voting: For the 2024 General Elections, North Carolina offers early voting. The early voting period for the 2024 General Elections is Thursday, October 17, 2024 to Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 3:00 PM. The voter can vote at any Early Voting site that is open within the voter’s county.

The voter should check the specific opening and closing times for early voting sites in their county using the state’s Early Voting Site Search: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite

Identification Requirements

Voter Registration

To register to vote in North Carolina you should provide:

  • Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
  • Your North Carolina Driver’s License or State non-driver ID Number
  • Your North Carolina Voter Registration Number (if known)

If you do not have any of these IDs, you can provide a copy of one of the following with your registration application:

  • Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
  • Utility Bill
  • Government Check
  • Bank Statement
  • Paycheck that Shows your Current Name and Address

You can alternatively provide one of these documents when you vote to complete your registration.

Voting In-Person

In-person voters will be asked to show any of the following when they check in to vote.

  • Valid North Carolina Driver’s License
  • Valid US Passport
  • Valid North Carolina non-driver’s ID
  • Student ID approved by North Carolina; unexpired or expired for less than 1 year
  • Valid North Carolina Voter Photo ID card, issued by board of elections
  • Valid charter school employee ID approved by North Carolina
  • Valid state/local government employee ID approved by North Carolina
  • Military or veteran ID card issued by U.S. government
  • Tribal enrollment card issued by a state or federally recognized tribe
  • Public Assistance ID

See https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id for voter ID requirements

ID to Register

  • No photo ID is required to register to vote in North Carolina. 
  • Voters must provide their NC driver’s license/DMV ID number, or last four digits of their social security number, or indicate that they do not have either when registering to vote in North Carolina. First-time voters who did not provide ID numbers when registering must provide proof of residence with an acceptable, current document.  

Photo ID to Vote

  • Photo ID is required when voting in North Carolina (in-person voting and voting by mail). 
  • When a voter checks in to vote at a polling place, they will be asked to show an acceptable photo ID. 
  • When voting by mail, voters must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID inside the photo ID envelope that comes with the ballot. 
  • Acceptable photo IDs for voting are any of the following that is unexpired or expired for one year or less:
    • N.C. driver’s license 
    • State ID from the N.C. DMV (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 N.C. within 90 days of the election)
    • U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card 
    • N.C. voter photo ID card issued by a County Board of Elections
      • To be issued a free voter photo ID card, the voter must be registered to vote in the county, provide their name, date of birth and the last four numbers of their Social Security number, and have their photo taken 
      • County boards of elections cannot issue free voter photo ID cards starting on the last day of early voting at 3:00PM through Election Day.
    • College or university student ID approved by the North Carolina State Board of Elections (view the list of approved student IDs https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id/student-public-employee-ids-approved-voting) 
    • State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the North Carolina State Board of Elections (view the list of approved employee IDs https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id/student-public-employee-ids-approved-voting) 
  • A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptance ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday.
  • Acceptable photo IDs for voting are any of the following, regardless of whether the photo ID contains an expiration or issuance date:
    • Military or veterans ID card issue by the U.S. government 
    • Tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized by the State or federal government 
    • ID card issued by an agency of the U.S. government or N.C. for a public assistance program 

No Photo ID, Voters Can Vote With a Provisional Ballot

  • If a voter cannot show an acceptable photo ID when voting or does not have an acceptable photo ID, they can still vote in-person by two methods:
    • Voting a provisional ballot and an ID Exception Form OR 
    • Voting a provisional ballot and returning to their County Board of Elections office with an acceptable photo ID by the day before County Canvass (November 14, 2024). 

Using an ID Exception Form When A Voter is Unable to Show or Photocopy Photo ID

  • If a voter is unable to show photo ID when voting (whether in person or by mail), they may fill out an ID Exception Form. The following are acceptable reasons for not showing photo ID:
    • The voter has a “reasonable impediment” to providing photo ID. The voter must provide their reason by selecting from the following choices on the form:
      • Lack of transportation 
      • Disability or illness 
      • Lack of birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain ID 
      • Work or school schedule 
      • Family responsibilities
      • Photo ID is lost, stole, or misplaced 
      • Applied for photo ID but have not received it
      • For mail voters only – unable to attach a copy of photo ID
        • The voter must provide either their N.C. drivers’ license/DMV ID number OR the last four digits of their Social Security number. 
      • Other reasonable impediment
        • If selected, the voter must write the reason on the form, e.g., “I did not know photo ID was required for voting.”
    • The voter has a religious objection to being photographed
    • The voter was a victim of a natural disaster within 100 days before Election Day 
  • The voter must sign the ID Exception Form. 
  • County Boards of Elections must count provisional ballots or mail-in ballots with truthfully completed ID Exception Forms. 

ID for First Time Voters Registering by Mail

  • First time voters who registered to vote by mail and DID NOT provide verification of identification (drivers’ license number or last four digits of their Social Security Number) must present proof of identification the first time that they vote.
  • Proof of residency includes any of the following documents:
    • A North Carolina driver’s license or other government-issued photo identification that includes the voter’s current name and address; or
    • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the voter’s name and address.
    • For students living on campus, a document from a college/university with the student’s name and on-campus housing address. The college/university may also provide the county board of elections with a campus housing list, which will suffice if a student living in campus housing shows a valid student photo identification card.
If You Have Moved Within Your State

Moved within the same precinct in the same county:

Re-registration is not required in this situation, but the voter should notify the county board of elections of the voter’s new address at least 25 days before the election. The voter may also update their address using same-day registration during the in-person early voting period.

Because the polling place will be the same for the new and old address, voters should go to that polling place. Even if a voter has not notified the county board of elections of their new address by the voter registration deadline, voters are entitled to cast a regular ballot upon oral or written affirmation of the change of address before a precinct official at the time they cast their ballot.

Moved to a different precinct within the same county:

Re-registration is not required in this situation, but the voter should notify the county board of elections of the voter’s new address at least 25 days before the election. The voter may also update their address using same-day registration during the in-person early voting period.

Voters who moved at least 30 days before the election within the same county can vote either at their new polling place upon written affirmation of the new address or at a central location in the county chosen by the county board.  

If a voter goes to their old polling place to vote, the precinct officials must: (1) send the voter to the new precinct; (2) if the registrant prefers, send the voter to vote at the central location chosen by the county board; or (3) permit the voter to vote at their old precinct using a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will only be counted for all ballot items that the voter is eligible to vote for under state or federal law. 

Voters who moved within 30 days of the election must vote in their prior polling place. 

Moved to a different county within the state:

If the voter moved at least 30 days before the election, the voter must update their registration with their new address (or if applicable, register to vote in their new county of residence) no later than 25 days before the election. The voter may also update their address using same-day registration during the in-person early voting period.

Voters who moved fewer than 30 days before Election Day must vote at the polling place that corresponds with their old address (and when they vote, they should complete a change of address form). They will be able to cast a regular ballot at the old polling place.

Moved from a different state:

The voter is eligible to register to vote in North Carolina as long as the voter moved to the state at least 30 days before Election Day. 

The voter must submit their registration form at least 25 days before Election Day; or the voter can participate in Same Day Registration during the Early Voting period.

If You Are in the Military or are an Overseas Voter

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
  • Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
  • U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID

Photo ID is not required for military or overseas voters who vote using special absentee voting procedures that federal law makes available for such voters

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
  • Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
  • U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID

Photo ID is not required for military or overseas voters who vote using special absentee voting procedures that federal law makes available for such voters

Military and Overseas Voters: 

In addition to using the North Carolina absentee ballot process described below, active-duty military members, their dependents, and U.S. citizens living abroad may also apply to register and vote through special programs for military and overseas voters, specifically the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

To register, military and overseas voters can fill out the registration application using the processes for registering described above. Military and overseas voters may register to receive an absentee ballot through the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) or the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The advantage of the FPCA is that the voter receives a ballot that includes all ballot choices, including local contests and ballot items. The FWAB is a simpler option if the voter only wants to vote in prominent federal contests, such as presidential elections. With a FWAB ballot, the voter may vote for all contests (federal, state and local) for which he or she is eligible, but the voter must get information for local contests and ballot items in order to write in a choice for those items. A military or overseas voter should only apply for an absentee ballot using either the FPCA or the FWAB, but not both. Generally, the FWAB serves as a backup to the FPCA. For most voters, the FPCA is the best option.

Photo ID is NOT required for military or overseas voters using FPCA or FWAB.  Military and overseas voters are not required to submit a copy of photo ID or use an ID Exception Form when using these methods to vote. 

UOCAVA citizens may complete an FPCA or FWAB and send the form to their county board of elections using one of these methods:

Online at the UOCAVA portal (https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/uocava)

Mail: NC State Board of Elections 

PO Box 27255 Raleigh, NC 27611-7255 

Email: absentee@ncsbe.gov

Fax: (919) 715-0351

Registering and Requesting an Absentee Ballot:

For the 2024 General Election, absentee ballot requests must be received by the county board of elections no later than 5 PM on October 29, 2024.     

County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form on September 6, 2024.     

After that date, the voter should receive their absentee ballot within about a week of submitting the request, provided the request was received before the deadline. Therefore, in order to allow enough time for the absentee ballot requests to be fulfilled before the deadline for the voter to submit the absentee ballot, requests should be made as far in advance of the deadline as possible.  
To request a mail-in absentee ballot, the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian must complete the Absentee Ballot Request Form.  By law, a “near relative” can be any of the following: spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild of the voter. If a voter needs assistance requesting their ballot due to disability, these restrictions do not apply, and they may ask any person to complete and return their absentee ballot request form.

The Absentee Ballot Request Form can be accessed at:

  1. Online with “Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot” at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal: https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home.
  2. On paper with the 2024 N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form in English or the 2024 N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form in Spanish. The form comes with detailed instructions. After completing, the form must be submitted to the voter’s county board of elections in person or by mail via the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx, or UPS.
  3. North Carolina State Board of Elections office:  https://www.ncsbe.gov/contact-ncsbe
  4. The relevant County Board of Elections office: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo/

Those who are blind or visually impaired may also request an accessible absentee ballot. For more information about how to request and submit an accessible absentee ballot, see https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/help-voters-disabilities/accessible-absentee-voting. 

A completed Absentee Ballot Request Form may only be returned by the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) member, United States Postal Service, or designated delivery service (DHL, FedEx, or UPS). Voters cannot submit absentee ballot request forms via fax or email.  The MAT can assist voters in the mail-in absentee

voting process. If you need assistance returning your ballot due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, these restrictions do not apply, and you may ask any person to return your ballot. The assistant must provide their name and address on the voter’s Absentee Ballot Request Form.   

For the 2024 General Election, a completed and signed request to vote absentee must be received by the voter’s County Board of Elections no later than 5 PM on October 29, 2024.

The state recommends allowing 7-10 days for the absentee ballot to be delivered to you. 
Once you have requested your absentee ballot, you can track its status from printed to accepted by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax (https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/). To sign up for BallotTrax, a voter needs to provide your first name, last name, year and/or date of birth and zip code.

If You Have a Felony Conviction

A person is ineligible to register to vote or vote in North Carolina if they are serving a sentence for a felony conviction including any probation, post-release supervision, or parole. If a person is in jail awaiting trial for a felony but has not yet been convicted, they retain their voting rights. 

Those who have been convicted of a misdemeanor do not lose their right to vote, even if they are incarcerated for the misdemeanor.

Once an individual convicted of a felony has completed their sentence, including any probation, post-release, supervision, or parole, or received a pardon, their citizenship rights are automatically restored, and they are eligible to register and vote. The voter must register (or re-register) at least 25 days before the election as long as the sentence (including any probation, post-release, supervision, or parole) has been served by then.

If the sentence is not fully served or the individual is not released from jail or prison until fewer than 25 days before the election, an individual with a felony conviction may apply to register to vote on primary or election day. If the application is approved, the person may vote on the same day.

For more information on eligibility to vote and how to register to vote, consult the North Carolina State Board of Elections: https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/who-can-register/registering-person-criminal-justice-system. 

Although not necessary for voter registration, a Certificate of Restoration of Forfeited Rights of Citizenship should be issued when a sentence has been fully served (and filed with the duty court of the clerk of the person’s county of residence) and a copy should also be provided. When registering to vote, bringing a copy of the certificate may help avoid potential issues. 
For specific questions or concerns about felony disenfranchisement or voting with a criminal record in North Carolina, email vote@forwardjustice.org or call 877-880-VOTE (877-880-8683).

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