The voter registration deadline for NC’s elections is Friday. Here’s how to register.

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi
Chris Seward/N&O file photo

North Carolina’s deadline to register to vote for the midterm elections taking place on Nov. 8 is Friday, Oct. 14.

This deadline applies to people who plan to vote by mail, sometimes dubbed absentee voting, or on Election Day itself. But if you miss it, you can still register and vote on the same day at an in-person early voting site.

The deadline applies not only to those registering to vote, but also to those who want to update their voter registration, such as to reflect changes in their address, name or party affiliation.

Here are your registration options:

  • You can also give the registration form to another person or organization to submit on your behalf.

As the deadline is near, if you plan to mail in your registration, be sure to do so early this week, as forms must be received by the county board of elections office or postmarked by the deadline to be accepted as valid. If the options are available to you, you may want to register in-person, online, or via email or fax.

You can check your voter information online at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.

If you miss the deadline

If you don’t make the deadline, you can still register to vote via early voting, which runs from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5. You can find a list of one-stop early voting sites on the NCSBE website.

You can cast your ballot at an early voting site in your county, and if you haven’t registered, you can register that same day and vote.

You’ll need to prove your residence by providing one of several documents, such as:

  • A North Carolina driver’s license.

  • Other photo identification issued by a government agency.

  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document showing your name and address.

  • A college or university identification card with proof of campus living.

During early voting, you can also update your name or address within the same county if necessary. You cannot update your party affiliation.

Eligibility requirements to register

You can register to vote if:

  • You’re 18 years old, or will be at the time of the general election. You can also pre-register if you are 16 or 17.

  • You’re a United States citizen.

  • You’ll have been a resident of the county in which you will vote for at least 30 days before the election. (The NCBSE goes into further detail on what you should do if you did not update your voter registration on time and moved recently)

  • You’re not in jail or prison for a felony conviction (But if you are serving a felony sentence and are not presently incarcerated, you can register.)

What happens after I register?

About two weeks after you register, you should get a voter registration card in the mail at the address you provided on your form, with information on your voting precinct and polling place. If you don’t, contact your county board of elections.

If you want to vote by mail, you’ll need to request a mail-in ballot. You can either fill out and deliver a physical ballot request form, or go online to votebymail.ncsbe.gov and pick the option you want, as explained in a separate News & Observer article. Be sure to request this mail-in option by Nov. 1 and submit your ballot by Nov. 8.

As of Oct. 8, the most recent data available, there are almost 7.4 million people registered to vote across North Carolina, according to the State Board of Elections. Of these, 33.7% are registered as Democrats, 30% as Republicans and 35.5% as unaffiliated. The remainder are registered with the Libertarian or Green parties.

For more North Carolina government and politics news, subscribe to the Under the Dome politics newsletter from The News & Observer and the NC Insider and follow our weekly Under the Dome podcast at campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts.

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