Learn about all the options to vote in North Carolina to make a plan to vote that works for you!
North Carolina Elections Office Phone Number: (919) 814-0700
Whether you are registering to vote for the first time, or need to update your address, name or party affiliation - we've got you covered!
Not sure if you are eligible to vote due to a felony conviction?
Click here to learn more.
Absolutely! You can check your voter registration online on North Carolina’s elections office website here.
It can take several weeks. Most states send out voter registration cards within 5 to 7 weeks after receiving the registration. If you do not receive a registration card in the mail, contact your state election office to confirm you are registered. Find your state’s contact information in our How to Vote in Your State section on this page! In any event, you should verify your registration a week prior to the voter registration deadline in your state in case you need to fill out a new registration form or correct your form.
Elections take place all the time throughout the year, and odds are, you probably have an election coming up in your state! In addition to the presidential election and midterm elections, you have statewide, countywide and municipal elections that you can make your voice heard in. Make sure you know when your upcoming elections are so that you don’t miss a single one! Check out when your next election is here.
Your state provides an online ballot tracking system. You can track your ballot here!
YES you are able to register to vote at your student address. You should provide your official campus mailing address as well as the actual physical address of your on or off campus residence when registering to vote. You must have some sort of proof of address and residency that can be presented at your polling place (mail, a student ID, etc.). For more information, we suggest visiting your state’s elections office website. Remember: you can only register to vote and vote in one place, whether that is your student address or your home address!
YES, unhoused voters can register to vote and use their voice in North Carolina’s elections. Unhoused voters or voters without a permanent address may list a shelter address, street corner, or park as their address. For more information on voting while unhoused, visit our friends at the National Coalition for the Homeless.
YES. In this case you must register at the last address you had before you left the USA, or at the address to which you will return to when returning to the USA (you must present some indication of a present intent to return and live there – e.g. vehicle registration, driver’s license, property ownership, family, etc). If you have never had a permanent address in the United States but are a citizen you are allowed to register at an address you plan on moving to or an address where you currently have family living. Access more information on voting overseas here.
You may call the voting rights hotline at 866 687-8683, if informing another poll worker isn’t successful. They have lawyers ready to help you. Additionally, you can call the civil rights division of the U.S Department of Justice.
You can also find North Carolina’s elections office here and contact them by phone at (919) 814-0700.
Request and track
Notice: Mail-in voting is a convenient and safe way to vote, but your ballot might not count if it’s submitted late or with errors. So follow the directions below on how to vote early or absentee and make your vote count in North Carolina.
Voting by mail is a two step process in North Carolina.
Step 1: Request your ballot NOW. The deadline for your application to be received is seven days before Election Day at 5 p.m.
Step 2: Complete and return your ballot ASAP.
The absentee ballot return envelope must be signed by 1 notary or 2 witnesses.
Remember to sign where indicated before returning your ballot.
You must sign the outside of the security envelope!
Make sure to follow the signature and witness instructions. Without the proper signatures, your ballot will be tossed and will not count.
First time voters must submit ID when voting by mail.
ID is required with completed mail-in ballot.
Voters who vote by mail must include a photocopy of an acceptable ID when returning their ballot, or they may complete an ID Exception Form. The voter places the photocopy of ID or ID Exception Form in a pocket on the outside of the ballot container envelope, which is then placed in an outer return envelope to protect the privacy of the voter.
If you return your ballot by mail, you must add postage when mailing in your ballot.
You can also drop off your ballot in person at your local elections office, or early voting locations.
A near relative or legal guardian may mail or hand-deliver the Return Envelope.
Track your ballot by clicking here.
You may still vote in person as long as you haven't returned your absentee ballot. Your absentee ballot will be "spoiled" after voting in person. You may simply discard the absentee ballot. There is no need to bring it with to a polling place.
North Carolina does not offer voters a chance to address challenges to their ballot. Your ballot will not count if it is late, or you do not follow directions.
A new law went into effect in April 2023, which means that North Carolina voters will now be required to show Photo ID in order to vote. Your ID must be unexpired or expired less than one year. Valid forms of identification include;
You can use the following IDs even if they do not have an issuance or expiration date.
All registered voters may receive a free photo ID from their county board of elections, and any North Carolina resident may receive a free non-driver’s photo ID from the North Carolina DMV.
Enter your address below to see what you can expect on Election Day.
Your state automatically registers people to vote at the address on their drivers license or other state issued ID card. If you have moved but have not updated your ID with your new address, changed your name or want to add a political party selection, you must update your voter registration. Click here to check to see if you are registered to vote, and update your registration if needed.
You can register to vote and cast your ballot on Election Day at your polling place or local elections office. Bring a valid ID and proof of residence with you.
Dates and hours vary by county. Contact your Local Election Office for more information.
You can return your mail-in ballot to your early voting site.
Click here to find early voting sites in your county. You may register to vote at early voting locations.
Some states have laws that specifically allow citizens to preregister at a certain age while others allow registration as long as you’re 18 by the next election. Preregistration means you’ll be automatically registered to vote on your 18th birthday without taking any additional steps.
In North Carolina, you can preregister to vote if you are 16. Register to vote today!
Some states even let you vote in their primaries at 17 if you’ll be 18 by the general election so you can participate in the whole process!
You can vote in the North Carolina primaries if you are 18 by the next election.
