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North Carolina
Voting Guide
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: Application must be received or postmarked no later than 25 days before Election Day.
After the 25th day before the election, you may register in-person during the early voting period at a one-stop site in your county of residence.
2023
Election Dates and corresponding Registration Deadlines vary by municipality in 2023. Check with your locality for which set of dates apply to you.
Municipal Elections and Primaries: September 12
Voter Registration Deadline: August 18
Municipal Elections: October 10
Voter Registration Deadline: September 15
Municipal Elections: November 7
Voter Registration Deadline: October 13
Official Election Websites
More election information at:
Online voter registration available at:
ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx
Printable PDF voter registration mail-in form available at:
ncsbe.gov/registering/how-register/complete-your-registration-mail
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
North Carolina’s voter registration form asks for your North Carolina driver’s license or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The online voter registration form requires a North Carolina issued driver’s license or ID number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it.
If you register to vote using same-day registration during the early voting period, you must also provide proof of residency. The following are examples of acceptable proof of residency:
A government-issued photo ID with your current name and address, such as a North Carolina driver’s license;
A current utility bill, paycheck, or bank statement showing your name and address; or
A current college/university photo identification card paired with proof of campus habitation
More information about registering to vote during the early voting period is available at
ncsbe.gov/registering/how-register/register-person-during-early-voting
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
All voters will be asked for ID when voting in person. If you vote by mail, you must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID in the designated photo ID envelope you receive with your ballot. Acceptable photo IDs include:
North Carolina driver’s license or State ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles
North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections
College or university student ID that has been approved by the State Board of Elections
U.S. Passport
U.S. military ID
Voters who do not have one of these forms of photo ID may fill out an ID Exception Form and cast a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will be accepted for counting if the ID Exception form is properly completed.
More information about North Carolina’s voter ID law is available at: ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
All registered voters may request and vote by absentee ballot. You can request your absentee ballot application online or by returning the absentee ballot request form to your county board of elections office. Absentee ballot requests must be received by your county board of elections by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the day of the election.
Election Dates and corresponding Absentee Ballot Request Deadlines vary by municipality in 2023.
Municipal Elections and Primaries: September 12
Absentee Ballot Request Deadline: 5 p.m. September 5
Municipal Elections: October 10
Voter Registration Deadline: 5 p.m. October 3
Municipal Elections: November 7
Voter Registration Deadline: 5 p.m. October 31
You can find more information about voting by mail and the request forms at: ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail.
Blind or visually impaired voters may receive their absentee ballots electronically. More information is available at: ncsbe.gov/voting/help-voters-disabilities/accessible-absentee-voting
Completed absentee ballots must be:
Returned in person at a one-stop early voting site
Received in person to your county board of elections office by 5 p.m. on Election Day, or
Postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on the third day after Election Day
For more information, visit:
Early In-person
All voters may vote early at one-stop early voting site in their county.
Contact your county board of elections for one-stop voting locations and hours: vt.ncsbe.gov/ossite/
Election Day
Voting sites will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time, then you have the right to vote.
Curbside voting is available to all one-stop early voting sites and Election Day polling locations for voters who are unable to enter the voting place. For more information on eligibility, visit:
ncsbe.gov/voting/help-voters-disabilities/accessible-voting-sites/curbside-voting
Common Questions/Concerns
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in North Carolina affect my driver’s license or car registration?
As a full-time student in North Carolina, you may have to make these changes regardless of whether you register to vote in North Carolina. For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein is used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed North Carolina legal professional.
Last updated September June 2023