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Voting in North Carolina in 2020
guide
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election
08 - Embedded content
07 - interactive Content modules
06 - Your questions answered
05 - COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS
04 - VOTE BY MAIL COVERAGE
03 - VOTe by mail
02 - VOTER INFORMATION
01 - KEY DATES
Contents
The voter registration deadline for the November 3, 2020 general election is October 9, 2020. Eligible individuals who miss this deadline may register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time during early voting with same day registration.
October 9, 2020
key dates for the General election in North carolina
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KEY DATES
October 15–31, 2020
The early voting period for the 2020 general election is October 15 through October 31. Eligible individuals may register to vote during this period.
October 27, 2020
Voters must request an absentee ballot by mail by 5 p.m. October 27, 2020. To do so, voters should complete an absentee ballot request form and email, fax, mail or return the form in person to their county board of elections.
October 31, 2020
The early voting period for the 2020 general election is October 15 through October 31. Eligible individuals may register to vote during this period.
November 3, 2020
The 2020 General Election takes place on November 3, 2020. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
November 12, 2020
UOCAVA ballot return deadline
To register to vote in North Carolina, you must:
Be a U.S. citizen
Live in the county where you are registering, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election
Be at least 18 years old, or will be by the date of the general election
Not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction, including probation, parole, or post-release supervision
More information here.
Who can vote?
Voter Registration Resources
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VOTER INFORMATION
How to Register
There are two primary methods available to apply for voter registration in North Carolina:
Filling out the North Carolina Voter Registration Application (Spanish version) and submitting by mail
Using N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) services:
Selecting the option to register to vote while applying for a vehicle license or ID
Submitting the voter registration application online through the DMV
Checking Your Registration
Check your registration with the Voter Search Tool.
One-Stop Early Voting Site Search
Find early voting sites and schedules for the upcoming election.
Find Your Polling Place
Enter a residential address to find your polling place.
View Your Sample Ballot
Sample ballots are available through the Voter Search Tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot in most elections. No special circumstance or reason is needed to vote by mail in North Carolina.
Vote by mail
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Check the status of your absentee ballot here.
How do I request my absentee ballot by mail?
Registered voters may request a ballot through the online Absentee Ballot Request Portal, or download and fill out the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. The form is also available at your county board of elections office.
After completing the request form, you may return it to your county board of elections by fax, email, mail, or in person. The request form comes with detailed instructions and is available in Spanish
When can I request my ballot for the November 3, 2020 election?
Absentee ballots may be requested from now until the
deadline – 5 p.m. October 27, 2020. The request must be received in the county
board of elections office by 5 p.m. October 27.
When will I receive my absentee ballot for the 2020 general election?
Ballots started being sent out on September 4, 2020 to voters who returned a request form.
Are absentee by mail ballots automatically sent out to all registered voters?
No. North Carolina voters must request a ballot using the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form.
What are acceptable ways to include my signature on my absentee ballot request form?
A wet ink signature is not required for an absentee ballot request. However, the signature must be unique to the voter and must be readable. Voters may use a pen, or their finger, stylus, or mouse for the signature if they have the capability. Voters may not use a service such as DocuSign that inserts a typed or cursive font signature that is not made by the voter.
Do I need to include a copy of a photo ID with my absentee request form/ballot?
No. North Carolina voters are not required to provide or show ID until further order of the courts.
Can someone request an absentee ballot for me?
Yes. Your near relative or legal guardian may request a ballot for you. A near relative is: your spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild.
Can I request a ballot for my child who is away at college?
Yes. A voter’s near relative may request an absentee ballot if their child is a registered voter. The request form must include all required information, including the voter’s driver’s license number or last four of their Social Security number. The near relative will sign and provide their address, daytime phone number, and relationship to the voter.
Can I pick up my ballot in person or does it have to be mailed to me?
The ballot must be mailed.
Five Steps to Vote by Mail
1. Request your ballot. There are two ways to request your ballot:
Complete and sign a North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. Instructions are included with the form. Note: Only the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, or a member of a multipartisan assistance team may request a ballot for that voter.
Online through the Absentee Ballot Request Portal.
2. Submit your request.
If you are not using the online portal, submit your North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form by email, fax, mail or in person to your county board of elections. The deadline to submit a request for the November 3, 2020 general election is 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 27.
3. Complete your ballot.
Your county board of elections will mail your ballot to you, beginning September 4. Complete your absentee ballot in the presence of one witness and insert the ballot into the return envelope.
A witness should not observe so closely that they are able to see what votes the voter marked. What is required is that the witness sees that the voter is voting the ballot.
4. Complete and sign the absentee ballot return envelope.
Sign the outside of the ballot return envelope. Have your witness complete and sign the witness certification. If you receive assistance marking or mailing the ballot, the assistant must fill out the voter assistant certification.
5. Return your ballot to your county board of elections.
Only the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian may possess the absentee ballot to return it to the board of elections.
In 2020, there are a few ways to return your absentee ballot:
By mail to your county board of elections, postmarked on or before Election Day, and received by 5 p.m. November 6
By commercial courier service (DHL, FedEx or UPS)
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
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VOTE BY MAIL
How to request an absentee ballot in North Carolina
EXCLUSIVE: An inside look as Wake County absentee ballots head to mail
Worried your mail-in ballot could be lost? You can track it
There are racial disparities when it comes to which absentee ballots are rejected in NC
Make your vote count by avoiding these common absentee ballot mistakes
'The process is working': 300,000 ballots accepted and scanned in North Carolina
Stories from ABC11 related to voting absentee in North Carolina in 2020
Vote by mail related coverage
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VOTE BY MAIL COVERAGe
The Board of Elections says significant precautions will be made at voting sites to protect voters and election officials against the transmission of COVID-19 including:
Enforcing social distancing at polling places and early voting sites
Providing hand sanitizer and masks for voters and election workers who do not bring their own
Providing gloves and face shields for election workers
Erecting barriers between election workers and voters at check-in tables
Providing single-use pens in counties that use hand-marked paper ballots and Q-tips for voters who use ballot-marking devices
Frequently cleaning surfaces and equipment in polling places and early voting sites
Recruiting poll workers who are less vulnerable to the virus
Safeguards in place
Covid-19 precautions
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CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS
Have questions about the election? About how Election Day will be at the polls? How to vote early? What's the deal with absentee voting? Will we find out the winner on Election Day? What prevents people from voting twice?
ABC11's Joel Brown and Jonah Kaplan helped answer those questions on our digital special 'Vote 2020: Your Questions Answered,' which featured local experts including NC State Board of Elections Public information Officer Pat Gannon, Chair for the League of Women Voters of Wake County Marian Lewin and NCCU Law Professor/Elections expert Irv Joyner.
WATCH NOW:
your questions answered
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED