North Carolina/Voting

Registering to Vote

Who Can Register to Vote

The qualifications to vote in North Carolina are:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
  • See the USCIS website for citizenship information.
  • Citizenship documents are NOT required to register.
• Live in the county where you are registering and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to Election Day.
  • The federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) allows certain voters who are active-duty military or their families as well as U.S. citizens abroad special rights that provide an expedited means to register and vote by mail-in ballot. Find more information on Military and Overseas Voting.
• Be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election.
  • 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.
• Not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole.

Note: An inactive voter is still a registered voter. A voter who is inactive status will be asked to confirm their addresses when they appear to vote. No special document is required.

If you are a college student and have not registered in your county, you can do so at any voting sites during early voting. You must bring your college/university photo identification and a proof of residence. If you are living on the college campus, you can bring either a document containing the name of the college/university and the student’s name and housing information or a current roster prepared by the college.

If you are a felon, you lose your right to vote until the sentence is completed. This includes probation, parole, and post-release supervision. Once the sentence is completed, you automatically gain the right to vote. You must re register even if you were previously registered to vote. Having financial debts such as fines does not necessarily make you ineligible to vote unless failure of not paying your debts extends your probation which would not allow you to vote. Names are removed from the voter roll by the N.C. Department of Adult Correction and U.S. Department of Justice on North Carolinians who are not eligible to register or vote.  Remember! This is only for people convicted of a felony. If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor, you are still kept you right to vote even if you were incarcerated.

The regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election. Eligible would-be voters who become naturalized U.S. citizens or whose rights are restored after being released from prison or jail for a felony sentence ahead of Election Day, but after the regular voter registration deadline, may register and vote during early voting or on Election Day.

If you are 16- or 17-year-old, you can pre-register to vote. When you turn 18-years old, you would automatically be registered to vote.

ID requirements:

North Carolina has very lax ID requirements with or without an ID you will be able to vote. If you do not have a photo ID, you can do a ID expectation form and fill out a provisional ballot.

How to Vote Register:

In 2023, there are three different voter registration deadlines, depending on the municipal election date. In North Carolina, the civilian voter registration deadline is 25 days before Election Day.

• The voter registration deadline is August 18, 2023, for municipal elections taking place on September 12, 2023.
• The voter registration deadline is September 15, 2023, for municipal elections taking place on October 10, 2023.
• The voter registration deadline is October 13, 2023, for municipal elections taking place on November 7, 2023. (Subject to change need to update yearly.)

Ways to Register

1. Online or in person at the DMV.
   • Use N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) services. Existing DMV customers may submit a voter registration application online. Learn more at Complete Your Registration Online Through the DMV.
   • Note: Certain agencies, including the DMV, are required to offer voter registration services. For more information, visit the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) page.
2. By mail.
   • Fill out the English N.C. Voter Registration Application (fillable PDF) or the Spanish N.C. Voter Registration Application (fillable PDF) and submit it by mail. Learn more at Complete Your Registration by Mail.
   • Note: The federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) allows certain voters an expedited means to register and vote by mail-in ballot. Find more information at Military and Overseas Voting.

Voting

Early Day Voting: ` `

Early voting starts 25 days prior to your election. If you need to know where early voting sites are you can search for your location here. One-Stop Early Voting Site Search  Reminder: you can register to vote on the same-day during early voting.

Absentee By Mail:

Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive, and vote a mail-in absentee ballot in elections where absentee voting is permitted. Absentee-by-mail voting is not permitted in some municipal elections. Learn about the municipal elections in 2023 at Upcoming Election.

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:
   • “Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot” at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
2. On paper:
   • 2023 N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form in English (fillable PDF)
   • 2023 N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form in Spanish (download to come)
     • After completing, submit the form to your county board of elections or in person or by mail via the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx, or UPS.

Steps on how to complete a vote-by-mail:

1. Mark up the ballot in front of two witnesses should observe that you marked your ballot they do not tell you how to vote.
2. Seal your ballot in the return ballot and seal the ballot. Do not put anything in the envelope.
3. Sign the back of the envelope.
4. Have two witnesses or notary sign the back of the envelope.

• Each witness will sign their name, print their name, and provide their full address on the back of the envelope.
• Anyone who is 18 years of age or older can be a witness except a candidate (unless the candidate is your near relative or legal guardian or you are in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or adult care home and are requesting the candidate's assistance due to disability).
• See “Assistance with Returning Your Ballot” on the next tab for additional witness requirements.
• Alternatively, you may have the application certified by one notary instead of two witnesses.

• If you need assistance, you can have a near relative or a verified legal guardian help you mark the ballot in your own direction. If they are not nearby at time you can receive help from another person.
• If you are in the hospital, nursing home, clinic or an adult care home, to have a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) scheduled, please go to the county board of elections. Unless a voter requests assistance due to disability, it is unlawful for any owner, manager, director, or employee of the facility other than the voters near relative, verifiable legal guardian, or member of a MAT to assist a voter in completing their absentee ballot. A voter who needs assistance due to disability may choose any person who is at least 18 years old to provide assistance.
• If you received assistance, make sure the person that assists also signs your ballot and puts their full address on the back of the ballot.
• Return the ballot.

Miscellaneous: you do not have a reason or an excuse to vote-by mail. You just need to request a ballot. You cannot fax or email absentee ballot requests. You can return your absentee ballot by mail, commercial courier service, (Fedx, UPS), in person at your county board of elections or early person voting in person. Make sure you put a photocopy of an acceptable ID. If you need to remedy your absentee ballot, the county board of elections will contact the voter. Provide your phone number and email in order to get in contact with you.

Civilian absentee ballots that arrive at the county board of elections office after Election Day are timely if they are postmarked and that postmark is dated on or before the day of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election and are received by the county board of elections by 5 p.m. no later than three days after the election. The State Board recommends that voters mail their ballot early and get it postmarked.