North Carolina's vote-by-mail and early vote programs are both well-established and robust. Voters might consider requesting a mail-in ballot, and then switching to early vote if there are issues getting or returning your ballot (Do NOT attempt to vote twice).
To avoid possible postal delays impacting your vote, we recommend mailing your completed ballot back by Tuesday, October 13th. Plan to drop it off by hand after that.
If you are concerned about your absentee ballot returning on time through the mail, visit our other page to learn how to drop your ballot off in person.
Register In Person: October 9, 2020
Register By Mail: Postmarked October 9, 2020. If the postmark is missing or unclear, the application will still be processed if it is received October 14, 2020.
Register Online: October 9, 2020
Request In Person: Received by 5pm October 27, 2020
Request By Mail: Received by 5pm October 27, 2020
Request Online: N/A
Ballots are due to your county board of elections by 5pm on Election Day if returned in person.
Ballots that are postmarked by Election Day will be counted if delivered to your county board of elections within three days after Election Day.
We strongly recommend mailing your ballot much earlier (by October 13th) and, if that's not possible, dropping it off in person. Learn how below or on our other page.
No.
Yes; for November, mail-in and absentee ballots must be signed by a single witness (as opposed to two witnesses normally) or certified by a notary.
Note: Notaries may charge a fee for their service. You should call ahead to get a cost estimate.
You can deliver your ballot by hand to two main locations:
Dropped off in person at your county board of elections office by 5 p.m. Election Day (November 3)
Dropped off in person at any early voting site in your county during voting hours
Yes; a voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian may return an absentee ballot.
It is a class 1 felony for any person to take into that person’s possession for delivery to a voter or for return to a county board of elections the absentee ballot of any voter, except a voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian.
October 15th - October 31st
Monday through Friday during regular business hours at the county board of elections. A county board may conduct early voting on weekends.
If the county board of elections opens early voting sites on Saturdays or Sundays during the early voting period, then all sites shall be open for the same number of hours uniformly throughout the county on those days.
There are exceptions for counties with islands that contain no bridges to the mainland.
A county board may conduct early voting on weekends.
If the county board of elections opens early voting sites on Saturdays or Sundays during the early voting period, then all sites shall be open for the same number of hours uniformly throughout the county on those days.
There are exceptions for counties with islands that contain no bridges to the mainland.
For the November 2020 election, no voter ID is necessary.
If an individual becomes qualified to vote between the registration deadline (the 25th day before November 3, 2020) and November 3, 2020, then the individual may apply to register on November 3, 2020 by submitting an application to:
a member of the county board of elections,
the county director of elections, or
the chief judge or a judge of the precinct in which the person is eligible to vote.
If the application is approved, the individual may vote the same day. This applies to those individuals who recently become naturalized citizens of the U.S. or who have restored to citizenship after a felony conviction, but it does not apply to individuals who were 17 years old and reach 18 after the registration deadline.
6:30am - 7:30pm
The hours can be extended if polling times are delayed or interrupted by more than 15 minutes.
If you are in line when polls close, you are legally entitled to vote. Don't leave!
For the November 2020 election, no voter ID is necessary.