How to register to vote

Use the State Board of Elections voter search engine to see if you are on NC’s voter rolls. Type your first and last name as you think they appear on the registration form; don’t include a middle initial or birth year. You can also type part of a name with an asterisk; for example, Kath* will find Kathy, Katherine, Kathleen, Kathryn, etc. Check the box “I’m not a robot” and hit “Search.” Then select the blue name that’s you. If you don’t find yourself, go back and check the box for “Removed or Denied” near the bottom.

Keep in mind that it can take a couple of weeks for your information to be added to the registration rolls. If you do not find your name on the rolls after three weeks, or if incorrect information is listed, please contact your County Board of Elections. You can also fill out another form and submit it before the registration deadline; there’s no penalty for registering twice at the same address. For guidance on registering, see information here.

To register to vote, you must be:

1. A U.S. citizen
2. At least 18 years old by Election Day*
3. A resident of the county for at least 30 days before Election Day
4. A person who is not currently serving a felony sentence. **

* A 17-year-old may register and vote in the Primary if he or she will be 18 on the day of the General Election.  Pre-registration is also available for 16 and 17 year-olds. Complete the regular voter registration form and submit it to your county Board of Elections. The registration will be held in a queue and automatically processed when the voter turns of age.

** If you have been convicted of a felony (in NC or anywhere else), you are eligible to register in North Carolina as soon as you complete your sentence (including any probation or parole). Simply having an outstanding restitution payment, similar to a civil fine, does not affect your right to vote. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, you do not lose your right to register and vote, even if you are currently incarcerated.

Students or members of the military living away from home and people in jail on misdemeanor charges or awaiting a felony sentence are all eligible to register to vote.

In NC, a 16 or 17-year-old may pre-register, and their registration will become fully effective when they reach the appropriate age to vote.

Use the same registration form to register or to pre-register to vote. Carefully and legibly fill out each section. Include a phone number so an elections official can reach you if something needs to be clarified. Be sure to check the citizenship box correctly, sign the form, and include your date of birth and an identifying number (NC driver’s license number or last 4 digits of your Social Security number).

You do not have to register again each time you vote. You only need to register again if you move, change your name, or after you finish a felony sentence (including any probation or parole; simply having an outstanding restitution payment, similar to a civil fine, does not affect your right to vote).

Under NC law, where you vote depends on where you call “home.” You have two choices if you are a student who has moved away to attend school and has no firm intention to return to a certain address after graduation:

• You can declare your old address (probably a parent’s address) as your home because that’s where you return periodically; in that case, you may register and vote in your old hometown.
• Or you can declare your new address as your home because that’s where you return day after day. In that case, you may register and vote in your new town.

You have to choose: It’s a serious crime to vote in two places in the same election. If you are already registered to vote in your hometown and now live in another community, you can vote by mail by requesting an absentee ballot or you can take advantage of early voting on a trip home during the Early Voting period. If you want to register or change your registration to a new address, follow the guidelines here.

A person convicted of a felony temporarily loses his or her citizenship rights in North Carolina. But you automatically get your rights back after you finish your felony sentence, including any time on probation or parole.

You do not need a special document saying your rights are restored. You just register to vote like any other citizen. If you were registered before your conviction, you will need to register again.

An outstanding payment of restitution or a civil fine does not affect your voting rights.

If you are awaiting trial or if you are serving a misdemeanor sentence, you do not lose your right to vote, even if you are in jail.

If you are in jail, put an address on the registration form where your mail will be accepted and received. (If the Board of Elections’ mail to you is returned as undeliverable, you may not be able to vote.) List that address as your residential and mailing address, even if it is in a different county from the jail, and mail your registration form to the Board of Elections in that county. This is the same Board where you will send your Absentee Ballot request form when the time comes to vote.

As an alternative, you can use the jail’s address where you receive mail and mail your completed registration form to the Board of Elections in the same county as the jail; this is the same Board where you will send your Absentee Ballot request form when the time comes to vote.

Your voter registration card will be mailed to the address that you put down as your mailing address. If you have not received a voting card within three weeks, you can search your registration status online or contact your County Board of Elections. You will vote by following the directions for using an absentee ballot in the county where you mailed your registration form.

You can register to vote at any time, but if you want your registration to count in time for an upcoming election, you have two options.

(1) Regular Voter Registration Deadline – Generally, your registration form must be postmarked or delivered to your COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS at least 25 days before the election in which you want to vote.

(2) Same-Day Registration during Early Voting – If you miss the 25-day registration deadline, you can use Same-Day Registration during Early Voting at any Early Voting site in your county.

⚠️ You can NOT register and vote on the same day on Election Day.

To use Same-Day Registration during Early Voting, you must provide one of the following documents to an election official at an Early Voting location:

• NC driver’s license
• Other government photo ID with name and current address
• Utility bill, bank statement, or payroll stub with name and current address
• Student photo ID with a school document showing the student’s address
• Any document from any government agency with the voter’s name and current address.

You can register to vote *after* the regular deadline, but only during the Early Voting period.

Same-Day Registration is a good option if you missed the 25-day registration deadline, or have recently become eligible to vote. To use Same-Day Registration, you must provide one of the following documents to an election official at an Early Voting location:

• NC driver’s license or identity card from NC DMV
• Current utility bill (electric, phone, cable, water, etc.), bank statement, or payroll stub with the voter’s name and current address
• Student photo ID, plus a school document showing the student’s address
• Any document from any government agency with the voter’s name and current address.
• A current document issued from the institution that issued the photo ID the voter uses to satisfy the voter ID requirement.

If you have access to a computer and you have a DMV-issued ID, you can register to vote or update your registration online through the DMV voter registration portal.

If you need to register using a paper form, you can follow the process below:

(1) Obtain a Voter Registration Form.  You can use any one of the ways below to get a registration form to fill out and submit 25 days before election day to have it count in time for the upcoming election:

• Download a registration form and mail it to your County Board of Elections at least 25 days before the election you want to vote in.
• Visit your county Board of Elections during regular business hours to register.
• You can also obtain a voter registration form at any public library – local policies vary on whether they will turn the form in or if you need to turn it in yourself.
• If you are a student, be aware that high schools are required under state law (NC General Statute 163-82.23) to have registration forms for you to use.
• Obtain a registration form at your local Department of Social Services or public health office.
• Register to vote at any Division of Motor Vehicles office when you apply for a new or renewed driver’s license.
• Register during a voter registration drive. The person taking your completed form must submit it at least 25 days before the next election. They may not pre-mark the form with a party affiliation or destroy the form if they don’t like your choice of party affiliation.

(2) Complete the Form. Before you turn in your registration form, review it carefully. Be sure you sign and date it, fill in all the questions, including your date of birth, and check all the appropriate boxes. Spell out your name as it appears on the identity document whose number you provide in Section 3. In order for your form to be processed, you MUST include your NC driver’s license number, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, or check the box that states, “I do not have a driver’s license/DMV ID or Social Security number.” If you check this box, be prepared to show one of those documents when you first vote in person. Include a phone number on the form; it’s used by election officials to call you for missing information.

If you have trouble understanding the form, review this tip sheet or call your County Board of Elections.

(3) Submit the Form. There are several ways to submit a Voter Registration Form before the 25-days deadline before the election you want to vote in

• Submit the form in person (during regular business hours) or by mail to your County Board of Elections at least 25 days before the election you want to vote in.
• Submit the form at any Division of Motor Vehicles office when you apply for a new or renewed driver’s license.
• IF you register during a voter registration drive, the person taking your completed form must submit it at least 25 days before the next election.

REMEMBER! You must submit the form at least 25 days before the election you want to vote in. If you don’t make this deadline, you should use Same-Day Registration during Early Voting.

To verify your identity, you must provide your birth date and your NC driver’s license (or DMV non-operator’s ID card) number, if you have one. If not, provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not have a SSN or NC license, check the box that says, “I do not have a driver’s license/DMV ID or Social Security number.”  You will then need to present another form of identification, either when you mail in the form or when you first vote. Acceptable forms of ID include (1) a photo ID from any business, government, or nonprofit (including a student ID), or (2) any one of the following documents, with your name and current residential address:

• A utility bill from an electric, water, gas, phone, or cable company.
• A bank statement or bank-card statement.
• A paycheck or pay stub.
• Any license, registration, permit, invoice, check, letter, or any other document from a local, state, or federal government agency.

⚠️ NOTE: Intentionally lying on a voter registration form is a felony – do not give incorrect information.

If you have access to a computer and a DMV-issued ID, you can register to vote or update your registration online through the DMV Online Voter Registration Portal.

If you need to use a paper form, you can use any one of the ways below to get a registration form to fill out and submit 25 days before election day to have it count in time for the upcoming election:

• Download a registration form and mail it to your county Board of Elections at least 25 days before the election you want to vote in.
• Visit your county Board of Elections during regular business hours to register OR
• You can also obtain a voter registration form at any public library – local policies vary on whether they will turn the form in or if you need to turn it in yourself.
• If you are a student, be aware that high schools are required under state law (NC General Statute 163-82.23) to have registration forms for you to use.
• Obtain a registration form at your local Department of Social Services or public health office.
• Register to vote at any Division of Motor Vehicles office when you apply for a new or renewed driver’s license.
• Register during a voter registration drive. The person taking your completed form must submit it at least 25 days before the next election. They may not pre-mark the form with a party affiliation or destroy the form if they don’t like your choice of party affiliation.

To avoid problems when you vote, you should update your voter registration if:

• You change your address.
• You change your name.
• You change your party affiliation.

You can update your address and party affiliation through the online DMV voter registration portal. Alternatively, you can update your name, address, or party affiliation via paper voter registration form or during Early Voting using same-day registration. If you are changing your address to a new county, be sure to provide your previous address or at least the old county in the appropriate section of the registration form in order to cancel your prior registration. Also fill out this section if you are changing any other information, including your name or your party affiliation. It helps to change your registration as soon as possible. Your county Board of Elections depends on an accurate count of voters in each precinct to plan staffing – clean voters rolls can mean shorter lines at the polls.

You may update some information on Election Day if you are registered in the county, as well as make changes using Same-Day Registration.

Note: You cannot change your party affiliation during Early Voting during the Primary Election and have it take effect immediately for that primary.

After about two or three weeks, you should receive a voter registration card in the mail with the name and location of your voting precinct and polling place. You do not need to show this card when you vote. If you have not received your card within three weeks of registering, you should call your County Board of Elections and make sure your voter registration form is being processed.