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Student voting in NC

Top three things to know before you vote

Make sure you're registered. Find out how to register online or by paper form here.

Bring your ID to vote. You now need a photo ID to vote in NC. See if you have the right one here.

Double-win! You can register AND vote on the same day during Early Voting using same-day registration (but not on Election Day). Find out how here.

Wmoan holding a I Voted Eary sticker.

Where should I register to vote?

  • What’s your registration address? In NC, it depends on where you call “home.”
  • Call your college address “home” if you have no clear “intent to return” elsewhere after graduation.

★ PRO-TIP: Update your voter registration every time you move to a new address, even if it’s from one apartment to another in the same county.

How do I register to vote?

To register you must be

    1. a U.S. citizen;
    2. 18 years old by Election Day; and
    3. live at your address at least 30 days before the election.

There are three ways to register to vote:

Check Your Registration

Use this Voter Lookup Tool to see if you are registered at your current address.
Look up my Registration
black woman smiling while on her laptop

Register to Vote Online

If you have a state-issued ID or driver's license, you can register or update your registration through the NC DMV website. See below if you need help with this process.
Register to vote

Voter Registration Tips

★ First-time voter in your county? You may need to show a photo ID or another document with your current address. Got a utility bill? Bring it!

★ You can register after you’ve served a felony sentence, including probation. Serving a misdemeanor sentence? Register now!

★ When filling out voter registration:

  • Write your full name as appears on your Social Security card or license + an ID number, birthdate, and phone number.
  • List a physical place for your residence like your dorm’s street address (not a box number). Include a mailing address if you do not get mail at your residential address! Check this resource to look up your school if you are unsure how to list your residential versus mailing addresses.
  • Be sure to sign the form!

How do I vote?

There are three ways to vote in North Carolina:

    1. Vote by Mail (AKA “Absentee ballots”)
    2. Vote Early In-Person;
    3. Vote on Election Day

★ PRO-TIP: Use a location near your campus to increase turnout.

Need an Absentee Ballot?

You can request an absentee ballot online. Your ballot will be mailed to you. Mail it back so that it is received by Election Day or drop at a county Board of Elections or an early voting poll.
Learn more about Absentee Ballots

Find an Early Voting site in your county

Look up Early Voting sites and hours by county here. If Early Voting sites are not yet posted, check back closer to the start of Early Voting.
Early Voting Sites

You Now Need an ID to Vote in NC

You now need to show an NC driver's license or other "acceptable photo ID" to vote with a regular ballot. However, you have other options if you do not have the acceptable forms of photo ID, such as completing an ID Exception Form and submitting a provisional ballot during in-person voting (see acceptable ID exceptions here).

Does your student ID count?

Not all student IDs are approved for voting. Find out if yours is here.
Check if my ID Counts

Voter Hotline

Voter specialists are ready to answer your voting questions. Call or text the Voter Information Hotline at 888-OUR-VOTE (888-687-8683).
888-OUR-VOTE