Voter Registration - ID Requirement - Acceptable Forms of ID - Early In-Person Voting - Absentee Voting - Provisional Voting - Sample Ballots - Primary System

State Board of Elections
506 North Harrington Street
PO Box 27255
Raleigh, NC 27611-7255

Phone: 919-733-7173
Fax: 919-715-0315
Email: elections.sboe@ncmail.net
Web: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/

Voter Registration

Who can register to vote:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of North Carolina and your county for 30 days before the election
• At least 18 years old by the next general Election
• Not registered nor voting in any other county or state
• Your rights of citizenship restored if you were a convicted felon

Download: Any qualified person can register to vote by downloading the Voter Registration Form, return the completed form to your County's Election Division office or the North Carolina State Board of Elections 25 days prior to the General Election-on or before October 10, 2008. Registration form must be postmarked, hand-delivered, or faxed to the local board of elections office no later than 5:00 P.M. If faxed, the original must be received within 5 days.

First-time voters: Please note that first-time voters must provide a COPY of proof of identification and residence with their registration application when they register by mail. A "first-time" voter is an individual who is voting in an election in the state of North Carolina for the first time.

In person: Any qualified person may also register at their County Board of Elections office, One-Stop Absentee Voting Sites, government offices or voter registration drives.

Note: Any qualified voter can register (and also vote at the same time if they wish) at any One-Stop absentee voting site. These sites will be open from October 16 until November 1. Check with your County Board of Elections for locations and hours of operation.

Close of Registration: Voter registration is closed 25 days before an election.

ID Requirement

Photo ID is required of all voters casting a ballot in person. There are exceptions for certain confined voters and voters casting absentee ballots by mail. Acceptable forms of ID include: driver's license, passport, military ID or picture ID from the bureau of motor vehicles. The criteria for acceptable ID include:

• Photograph
• A name which matches the voter registration record
• An expiration date after Election Day
• Must have been issued by the U.S. government or the state of Indiana
  

Acceptable Forms of ID

Identification is required to register to vote in the form of a driver's license number, or the last four digits of a social security number. If the voter does not have either of these, alternate accepted forms of identification include:

• Current and valid photo ID
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck
• Government check
• Another document that shows the voter's name and address
  

Note: Identification is required for any first time voter who registered by mail and did not provide verification with your application.

Early Voting In Person (open)

Any registered voter may vote early in person with "One Stop Absentee Voting." Early voting is comprised of two methods by which registered voters may cast ballots other than the traditional method of appearing in person and casting a ballot on the day of the election. These methods are "absentee by mail" and "absentee one-stop." Early voting begins the third Thursday before the election and ends the Saturday prior to the election. For more information regarding one stop absentee voting and for specific locations where you can vote, contact your county board of elections.

In-person absentee voting is available for all North Carolina registered voters between October 16 thru November 1. For specific locations of where you can vote, please contact your County Board of Elections.

Absentee Voting (open)

Who can apply for an absentee ballot by mail: All registered voters in North Carolina are eligible to vote by absentee ballot. No excuses are needed to request a mail-in absentee ballot. You should send a written request to your county board of elections no later than 5:00 pm on the last Tuesday  before the Election Day. Exceptions can be made due to sickness or disability.

How to request an absentee ballot by mail: Any registered North Carolina voter can request an absentee ballot from his/her respective county board of elections prior to the last Tuesday before the election. A handwritten request from the voter or near relative* must include the following:

• Name of voter
• Residential Address of voter
• Mailing Address of voter (if different from residential address)
• Date of Birth of voter
• Signature of voter or near relative (indicate relationship with voter)
  

If the voter is qualified, an application and ballots will be mailed to the voter after the receipt of the written request.

*A near relative is a: spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild

* Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at Federal Voting Assistance Program Web Site.

Deadline to Vote by Absentee Ballot:

The voted ballot must be received in the County Board of Elections office by 5:00 p.m. on the day before Election Day in order to be counted.

Provisional Voting (in precinct)

A "provisional ballot" can be considered a temporary ballot. Federal law provides for voters whose eligibility is in question to cast a ballot. A provisional ballot is not counted until voter eligibility can be determined by Election officials. Provisional ballots will be counted if cast in the correct county.

A voter has the right to vote a provisional ballot if one of the following situations applies to him/her:

• Registered voter's name does not appear on the county's official list of registered voters,
• Voter does not have any type of photo ID or other documents with them
  

Remember to:

• Fill out the statement on the envelope that comes with the provisional ballot.
• Once you vote your ballot, place it in the provisional ballot envelope and return the sealed envelope to the election official.
• Check to see if your provisional ballot was counted and if not, the reason it was not counted.
• The county board of elections will determine your eligibility to vote through research into records and will count all the ballot items for which you are eligible to vote.
  

Sample Ballots

Provision of sample ballots may vary by county. Sample ballots are available through your local elections office prior to the election and are usually printed in the local newspaper. In addition, sample ballots will be posted at your polling place on Election Day.

Primary System (modified closed)

What is a Modified Closed Primary System North Carolina currently has a "modified" closed primary system. Voters who are affiliated (registered with a political party) must vote in the primary of the party they are affiliated with. Voters who are not affiliated with a political party may vote in a party primary as long as that party allows it. At this time, both the Democratic and Republican Parties allow unaffiliated ("decline to state") voters to vote in their primaries. Voters who are not affiliated with a political party are also free to vote a non-partisan ballot in the primary and not participate in a party primary.