How To Vote 2024 FAQs
North Carolinians can vote during Early Voting and on Election Day. North Carolina also allows any registered voter to request an absentee ballot and to vote by mail.
• Register to vote
• Request absentee ballot to vote by mail
WHO CAN REGISTER TO VOTE?
To register in North Carolina you must:
- be a citizen of the United States
- live in the county where you are registering, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election
- be 18 years old by the day of the next General Election. You may pre-register to vote if you are at least 16 years old. You may vote in a primary election if you will be 18 years old at the time of the General Election
- not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole.
HOW DO I VOTE IN PERSON?
Vote on Election Day Nov. 5. Check your voter registration status and find your polling place on the State Board of Elections site.
Vote Early. Early Voting begins Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2. You may register and vote in person at the same time during the Early Voting period at any One Stop Early Voting Location in your county. Find Early Voting Locations here.
VOTER ID
North Carolina law now requires that voters bring a photo ID with them to the polls.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
- a North Carolina drivers’ license
- U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
- State ID or non-operators card
- North Carolina voter photo ID card
- an approved college or university student ID
- employee ID from a state or local government or charter school that has been approved by the State Board of Elections
- Drivers’ license or non-operators ID from another state (if you registered to vote in NC within 90 days of the election)
- Voters age 65 and older can use expired or unexpired versions as long as they were unexpired on the voter’s 65th birthday. For all other voters, the IDs must be unexpired or unexpired for one year or less.
The following forms of IDs may be used regardless of whether they are expired.
- Federally issued military or veteran’s ID card
- Tribal enrollment card, state or federally recognized
- Public assistance program ID card, state or federal
Some exceptions will be made. For example, voters who experienced a natural disaster within 100 days of the election will not be required to show ID.
Voters who do not have a qualifying ID will be offered a provisional ballot. After voting, the voter will need to bring an acceptable ID to the county board of election before the county canvass of votes.
Learn more about Voter ID here.
HOW DO I VOTE BY MAIL?
- Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application.
- Fill out the application completely.
- When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.
Note: You may not return your ballot to a polling place on Election Day.
