North Carolina Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should check out the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Special Considerations for North Carolina: Voting Straight Ticket in North Carolina does NOT include the Presidential contest. If you check the 'straight ticket' option on your North Carolina ballot, be sure to vote separately for president.

Deadlines

General Election: November 4, 2008

Step 1: Voter Registration

To register to vote in North Carolina, you must:

• be a citizen of the United States
• be a resident of North Carolina and the county in which you live for at least 30 days prior to the election
• be 18 years of age by the day of the next general election
• have your rights of citizenship restored if you have been convicted of a felony
• not be registered to vote in another county or state, or vote in any other county or state

How to register to vote by mail:

• Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form.  For faster processing, mail the form directly to your County Board of Elections.
• You can also download North Carolina's voter registration form. Return the completed form to your county County Board of Elections.

ID requirements for first time voters:

If you are a first-time North Carolina voter and you register by mail, you must include your North Carolina drivers license number or your North Carolina identification card number on your voter registration.  If you do not have either of these numbers, you should include a copy of your ID with your form.  If you forget, you'll have to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot. Acceptable forms of ID include a copy ofa current and valid photo ID that shows your name OR a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and North Carolina address.

If you miss the voter registration deadline:

A North Carolina resident who is qualified to vote but who misses the 25-day deadline for voter registration may register and vote at an Early Voting Site during the Early Voting period. The Early Voting period begins 19 days before the election, and ends the 3rd day before Election Day. See below for more information on Early Voting.

Voter registration verification:

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can use the voter registration verification tools here.

Step 2: Absentee Voting

Good News! Any registered North Carolina voter can vote by absentee ballot.

How to apply for an absentee ballot:

The earliest day to apply for an absentee ballot is 50 days before Election Day.  The deadline for applying is the Tuesday prior to Election Day.

There is no official absentee voter application for North Carolina.  You should send a written request to the your county Board of Elections.  Your request must include your name, your residential address, your mailing address, your date of birth, and your signature. 

You can also ask a "near relative" to request an absentee ballot for you. (A near relative, as defined by law, is a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, or verifiable legal guardian.)  Your relative should prepare a written request which includes your name, your residential address, your mailing address and your date of birth.  Your relative should also include their address and their relationship to you.  Finally, either your or your relative must sign this request.  

ID requirements for absentee voters:

You do not need to provide ID if you've already voted in North Carolina at least once.  If you are voting for the first time in North Carolina and you did not meet the ID requirements when you registered to vote, then you must include a COPY of a current and valid photo ID that shows your name OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and North Carolina address.  

Absentee ballot instructions:

Your county board process your application and mail you a ballot and a return envelope.  Fill out the ballot, sign where indicated, and return your absentee ballot to your county Board of Elections.  Your ballot must be receied by 5pm the day before the election in order to be counted.

Special Voting Instructions:

A "straight party" vote does not include the office of president or any nonpartisan race or issue. You must vote for president/vice president separately from the other offices. Nonpartisan offices and issues also must be voted separately. More detailed instructions are on your ballot - for paper ballots, be sure to turn the ballot over.

Early Voting

Early Voting begins the third Thursday before the election and ends the Saturday prior to the election. Any North Carolina resident - registered or not - may vote during this period.

Unregistered Voters:

If you missed the 25 day deadline, you may register and vote during Absentee One-Stop. To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a Early Voting Site in your county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address.  The new registrant may vote ONLY at a Early Voting Site in the county of registration during Early Voting period and not on Election Day.

Acceptable forms of identification include:

• A North Carolina driver’s license with current address
• A utility bill with name and current address (A telephone or mobile phone bill, electric or gas bill, cable television bill, water or sewage bill)
• A document with name and current address from a local, state, or U.S. government agency, such as: (passport, government-issued photo ID, U.S. military ID, a hunting/fishing/or gun license, a property or other tax bill, automotive or vehicle registration, certified documentation of naturalization, a public housing or Social Service Agency document, a check, invoice, or letter from a government agency, a birth certificate)
• A birth certificate
• A student photo ID along with a document from the school showing the student’s name and current address
• A paycheck or paycheck stub from an employer or a W-2 statement
• A bank statement or bank-issued credit card statement

Your registration application cannot be fully processed until you provide proof-of-residency.

Registered Voters:

Any registered North Carolina voter may choose to vote in person during the Early Voting period. Early voting begins the third Thursday before the election and ends the Saturday prior to the election. Simply go to your County Board of Elections. and indicate that you wish to vote early. You will have to provide your name, home address, and complete an absentee ballot.

State Contact Information