North Carolina

The 2026 General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

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

Election Day polling places can be determined by using the Voter Search tool or the Election Day Polling Place tool on the North Carolina Board of Elections website.

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.

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 

• North Carolina Congressional, State and Judicial General Election
  • Submit a Printed Application: Postmarked by Fri Oct 9, 2026
  • Email, Online or Fax by Fri Oct 9, 2026 5:00PM
  • In-Person Request by Fri Oct 9, 2026

Registration Status

Voters can check their registration status using the Voter Search tool. 

Registration Forms

Voters can register to vote by:

• accessing the online Voter Registration Application (only available if you have an NCDMV-issued ID) or
• printing and completing the English Application or Spanish Application

Residency Requirements for Registration

• Voters should use their “fixed” habitation as their residence. A voter’s fixed habitation is the place where “whenever that person is absent, that person has the intention of returning.”
• Voters must establish residency at least 30 days before Election Day (October 4 for the 2026 General Election). 

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

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

• In-Person
• By Mail
• Online

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail
• Online

North Carolina Congressional, State and Judicial General Election

Ballot Request:

• Received by Tue Oct 20, 2026

Ballot Return:

• In-Person, Received by Tue Nov 3, 2026 7:30PM
• Post Received by Tue Nov 3, 2026 7:30PM

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
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is two weeks before the election by 5:00 PM (Tuesday October 20 by 5:00 PM for the 2026 General Election). The state recommends allowing 7-10 days for the absentee ballot to be delivered to you.               
     
How to Request an Absentee Ballot
Online: Use the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal 
By Mail: 2026 N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form. 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.
In Person: Visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections office or at the relevant County Board of Elections office.  
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 the North Carolina Board of Elections website. 
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.   
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. To sign up for BallotTrax, a voter needs to provide their first name, last name, date of birth, and zip code.
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. 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.                               

Early Voting: For the 2026 General Election, North Carolina offers early voting. The early voting period for the 2026 General Election beings the third Thursday before the election (Thursday, October 15, 2026) and ends the Saturday before the election at 3:00 PM (Saturday, October 31, 2026 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.

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 [NC voter ID requirements.](https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id)

Acceptable Photo IDs for Voting

Acceptable photo IDs for voting must be unexpired OR expired for one year or less. However, if the voter is 65 or older, the voter may use an expired ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65^th birthday. Additionally, any of the following IDs are acceptable regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration date:

• Military or veterans ID card issued 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 (however, these cards must have a photo to be acceptable)

Additional information on the photo ID requirement can be found here.

ID Requirement for Voting by Mail

When voting by mail, voters must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID inside the photo ID envelope that comes with the ballot. If the voter cannot provide a copy of their ID with their ballot, they can fill out an ID Exception Form to return with their ballot.

Free Voter Photo ID Cards

Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain a free voter photo ID from their county board of elections. To get a voter photo ID, the voter must go in person to their county board of election and provide their name, date of birth and the last four digits of their social security number, as well as have their photo taken. Voters can also get a free non-drivers ID card from the NC DMV. More information on voter photo ID cards can be found here.

If a Voter Cannot Show Photo ID

• All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID. 
• If a voter is unable to show photo ID when voting (whether in person or by mail), they can vote with a provisional ballot and:

1. Bring an acceptable photo ID to their county board of elections by noon on the fifth day after Election Day OR
2. Fill out and sign an ID Exception Form. 

ID for First Time Voters 

• 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 identification documents include a valid photo ID or a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government document showing the voter’s name and address.

Proof of Residence for Same-Day Registrants

• Voters registering during the early voting period using same-day registration must provide a document listing their name and residential address.
• Examples of proof of residence include a current and valid photo ID, utility bills showing their address, or a student housing portal screenshot. More acceptable documents can be found here.

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.

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 standard North Carolina absentee ballot process, 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).  

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). With a FWAB ballot, the voter may vote for all contests (federal, state and local) for which they are 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. For most voters, the FPCA is the best option.

Photo ID is required for military or overseas voters using FPCA or FWAB.  Military and overseas voters must submit a copy of an acceptable photo ID or use an ID Exception Form when using these methods in order for their votes in state and local elections to count. If no ID or ID Exception Form is provided, only votes for federal contests will count. 

The deadline to register to vote and request an absentee ballot with the FPCA is 5pm ET on the day before Election Day (Monday November 2 for the 2026 general election).

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

• Online: UOCAVA Portal 
• Mail: NC State Board of Elections (PO Box 27255 Raleigh, NC 27611-7255) 
• Email: absentee@ncsbe.gov
• Fax: (919) 715-0351

More information for military and overseas voters, including ballot return deadlines, can be found on the State Board of Elections website.

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. 

The following people are eligible to vote: (1) A person in jail awaiting trial for a felony but has not yet been convicted; (2) A person who has been convicted only of a misdemeanor; and (3)

A person convicted of a felony who has completed their sentence, including any probation, post-release supervision, or parole, or received a pardon. 

A person’s right to vote is automatically restored once they complete a felony sentence, including any probation, post-release supervision, or parole, or receive a pardon. However, the voter must still register to vote, even if they were previously registered before being convicted. If a voter regains their right to vote after the registration deadline but before Election Day, the voter can register using same day registration during early voting or on Election Day.

Although not necessary for voter registration, a person who completed their felony sentence should receive a Certificate of Restoration of Forfeited Rights of Citizenship. When registering to vote, bringing a copy of the certificate may help avoid potential issues. 

For specific questions or concerns about voting with a criminal record in North Carolina, email vote@forwardjustice.org or call 877-880-VOTE (877-880-8683).