North Carolina voter guide
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in North Carolina:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information for election agencies.
Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.
For information on elections happening this year, click here.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to North Carolina's 2026 election cycle.
Eligibility and registration details
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in North Carolina, each applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which they are registering to vote for at least 30 days before the election, be at least 18 years old by the time of the subsequent general election, and not be serving a felony sentence, including probation and parole.[1][2] Pre-registration is available for 16 and 17-year-olds.[2] The North Carolina voter registration application is available online.
Voter registration applications can be completed online or submitted to the appropriate county board of elections. Applications must be submitted at least 25 days before the election. Voters can also register and vote on the same day during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.[1][3]
The following agencies also provide voter registration services:[4]
- Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Division of Services for the Blind
- Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Division of Health Benefits
- Division of Child and Family Well-Being/WIC
- Division of Social Services
- Division of Rehabilitation Services
- Division of Employment Security (DES)
- Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities
In-person voting
The table below displays voter registration information specific to North Carolina's 2026 election cycle.
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In North Carolina, polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[5]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
North Carolina requires voters to present photo ID when voting.[6]
The following documents were acceptable forms of identification as of December 2025. Click here for the North Carolina State Board of Elections page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ | Any of the following that is unexpired, or expired for one year or less:
Note: A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday. Any of the following, regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date:
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To view North Carolina law pertaining to voter identification, click here.
For a list of acceptable student and public employee IDs, click here.
County boards of elections can issue free photo IDs for voting purposes to voters who live in their county. Voters must provide their name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. Voters must also have their photo taken.[6] North Carolina residents also can get a free ID card from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.[8]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
North Carolina permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays voter registration information specific to North Carolina's 2026 election cycle.
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Carolina. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[9]
An absentee ballot request form must either be submitted online or by mail before 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday before Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned either in person or by mail and received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.[9][10][11]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In North Carolina, people convicted of a felony temporarily lose the right to vote. This right is automatically restored upon completion of their entire sentence, including prison, parole, and probation. Having outstanding fines, fees, or restitution only makes someone ineligible to vote if it results in their probation being extended. Although it is not necessary, people convicted of a felony in North Carolina can obtain a Certificate of Restoration of Forfeited Rights of Citizenship to present as proof of completion of their sentence when re-registering to vote. Click here for more information on restoring citizenship rights in North Carolina.[12]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[13]
Contact information
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in North Carolina can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
North Carolina County Boards of Elections
North Carolina State Board of Elections
- Physical Address: Dobbs Building, Third Floor
- 430 N. Salisbury St
- 6400 Mail Service Center
- Raleigh, NC 27603-1362
- Mailing Address: PO Box 27255
- Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7255
- Phone: 919-814-0700
- Fax: 919-715-0135
- Email: elections.sboe@ncsbe.gov
- Website: https://www.ncsbe.gov/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
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See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Voter ID in North Carolina
- Election administration in North Carolina
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Carolina
Elections in North Carolina
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Registering to Vote,” accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Who Can Register,” accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Register in Person During Early Voting,” accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “National Voter Registration Act (NVRA),” accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-166.25," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Voter ID," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, "I Need a State ID," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "FAQ: Voting By Mail," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Detailed Instructions to Vote By Mail," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Registering as a Person in the Criminal Justice System," accessed December 15, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," August 19, 2025
