Early voting in North Carolina: Your 2024 guide to when, where, and how

From dates, locations, and how to register on-the-spot, here’s the guide you’ll need to early voting.

What’s the deal with early voting?

Early voting lets you cast your ballot at any early voting site in your county before Election Day. Early voting is convenient because you don’t have to stick to your assigned polling place like you would do on Election Day. And, if you’re not registered to vote yet, you can take care of that and vote all in one go. It’s especially helpful if you’ve recently moved, if you’re new to the area, or if you’re headed to college in another city this fall.

Early voting is similar to absentee voting. Early voting lets you cast your ballot in person before Election Day, while absentee voting (also known as “voting by mail”) allows you to vote by mail without having to show up at the polls.

Early voting dates and locations

There are a couple of ways to voting early for the 2024 general election:

• Early Voting: You can cast your vote early, in person, beginning 19 days before the election. This year, the early voting period starts on Thursday, Oct. 17, and ends on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m.
  • To find early voting sites and their hours in your county, go to the Early Voting Site Search. Remember, these sites change every election, so it’s a good idea to check the search tool for the most current information.
• Absentee Voting: If you prefer to vote by mail, make sure to request your absentee ballot by Friday, Oct. 29. After receiving your ballot, carefully follow the provided instructions and make sure it’s returned by Election Day.
• Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you requested an absentee ballot but never ended up using it, you can throw away the ballot and still vote in person on Election Day. 

RELATED: The do’s and don’ts of mail-in voting in North Carolina

Register and vote early at the same time?

To be eligible for same-day registration, you must meet these requirements:

• You’re a US citizen. Citizenship documents are not required to register—your clerk will use the info on your “proof of residence” (see below) to verify citizenship.
• You live in the county where you’re registering and have resided there for at least 30 days before Election Day.
• You’ll be at least 18 years old by the date of the general election (Nov. 5, 2024). If you’re 16 or 17, you can pre-register, and if you’re 17 and will be 18 by the general election, you can vote in the primary.
• You’re not serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole.

For active duty military members, their families, and US citizens abroad, special provisions under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) apply. For more details, visit Military and Overseas Voting.

Now that that’s all cleared up, here’s how to register.

Same-day registration: How it works

If you need to register to vote or update your information (like your address), you can do it during early voting. (You can also do it separately, if you prefer to vote another way. Here’s more info.)

To register and vote on the same day:

1. Visit any early voting site in your county.
2. Provide proof of residence. This can be:
   • Your North Carolina driver’s license.
   • A government-issued photo ID with your current address.
   • A recent utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government document showing your name and address.
   • For students, a student ID and document from your school with your name and on-campus housing address will work fine.

[Editor’s note: If you not have ID, you still have options: complete an ID Exception Form and vote with a provisional ballot right away, OR vote with a provisional ballot and bring your ID to your county board of elections’ office later. According to the NC State Board of Elections, the deadline for this is Thursday, Nov. 14.]

After you vote

Once you’ve cast your ballot, you can check to be sure it was counted. Use the “Your Absentee Ballot” section in the Voter Search database. In North Carolina, all early votes, whether by mail or in person, are counted as absentee votes. 

Your ballot status will also appear in the “Voter History” section once your county updates the records after Election Day. Keep in mind that this might take a few weeks, so don’t panic if you don’t see your status updated immediately following the election.

And that’s it

Early voting is a great way to avoid the rush on Election Day while still making sure your voice is heard. 

For more details on the upcoming election, visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections’ website.

READ MORE: First time voting? Everything you need to know before Election Day