Election Day Information
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020, is Election Day. If you haven’t voted by early voting or absentee voting, this is your day.
Polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Any voter in line at their assigned polling place at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote, no matter how long it takes. The busiest times are when polls open and when the close.
Not sure of where to vote?
Enter your information into the Voter Search tool, or search using your address with the Polling Place Search.
Find your sample ballot: Registered voters may enter their information into the Voter Search tool to view their 2020 general election ballot. Please note, you must enter your voter information as there are about 2,000 different ballot styles across the state.
You DO need to have already registered to vote in order to vote on Election Day (unlike Early Voting, during which you could register the same day.)
You do NOT need ID in order to vote. If someone tells you that you do, they are incorrect.
If there is a question or problem with your registration on Election Day you can vote a Provisional Ballot. Nobody should get turned away.
Curbside voting is available at every polling place for voters who are unable to enter the voting place without physical assistance due to age or disability. The term “disability” means you:
- Are unable to enter the polling place due to age or physical or mental disability, such as agoraphobia;
- Have a medical condition that puts you at increased risk of COVID-19;
- Should not wear a mask due to a medical or behavioral condition or disability; or
- Are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
Deadline for Registering to Vote
The deadline for registering to vote in the general election in 2020 is October 9th. In most cases you can register online.
If you miss this deadline you can still vote. You’ll need to use same-day registration during the one-stop early voting period (October 15-31.)
You’ll need to bring something that proves your residence. One of these will do:
- North Carolina driver’s license
- Other government-issued photo ID
- Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing your name and address
- Current college/university photo ID card, paired with proof of campus residence.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Use the voter lookup tool.
Absentee Voting
If you are eligible to vote in North Carolina, you are eligible to vote by mail, with an absentee ballot. You do not need to be living away from North Carolina to do this. No special circumstances are required. Every voter is eligible to vote by absentee ballot.
You do not have to mail your absentee ballot. You can bring it to your county’s Board of Elections office, and drop it off.
You can also bring it to any early voting site and drop it off. (More on that below.)
Note: If you haven’t registered to vote yet, you need to do that first, and in most cases you can register online. Learn how now.
There is a new enhancement (as of September 1st) to the process of requesting an absentee ballot. Now you can request one online, through a secure portal. You will receive an email confirmation very quickly that your request was received. Below we’ll also tell you how to request an absentee ballot by email or through the mail. Request your absentee ballot through the new secure online portal.
Tracking your absentee ballot
The President of the United States has suggested that voters “test” the system by sending in their absentee ballot and then going to vote in person to see if they can do it. Please don’t do that. Here’s why:
- It is a felony to attempt to vote twice.
- You can easily track your ballot using BallotTrax. It’s easy to sign up, and free. You will be notified (or can log in and check) when your ballot is on its way to you, when the ballot has been received by your County Board of Elections office, and when your ballot has been accepted. It’s easy!
- If you are comfortable voting in person, and would prefer to do so, when you receive your absentee ballot, just destroy it, and go to vote. But if you’re choosing to do absentee voting because you’re not comfortable with in-person voting, please don’t risk your health, and add to the number of people at the polls, by showing up as a “test.”
Who is eligible to vote with an absentee ballot in North Carolina?
Here is some information straight from the North Carolina Board of Elections’ page on absentee voting.
- Any North Carolina registered voter who is qualified to vote in an election may request and receive a mail-in absentee ballot for any election in which absentee voting is allowed. All registered voters may request an absentee ballot for the November 2020 general election.
- No special circumstance or reason is needed to receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot.
- Most voters who want to vote by mail must request a ballot for each election.
- Military or overseas voters have special rights under the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). See www.fvap.gov and the Military and Overseas Voters page for more information on military and overseas citizens absentee voting.
To request an absentee ballot, print out this form.
Fill it out. On the last page of the form it has the address for where to send the form, for every county in North Carolina. You can also email it, fax it, or hand deliver it to your county board of elections. If hand-delivered, it must be by the voter, the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian, or a member of a multipartisan assistance team.
Now you can submit your request online, through a secure portal. You will receive an email confirmation very quickly that your request was received. Request your absentee ballot through the new secure online portal.
The signed and completed request form must be received by the county board of elections office no later than 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the date of the election. For the November, 2020, general election, the deadline is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27th, 2020.
That said, if you want an absentee ballot and haven’t requested one yet, it’s recommended you do so immediately, to account for any delays in mail delivery.
What information do you need in order to request an absentee ballot in North Carolina?
It’s easy to fill out the form. This is all the information you’ll need to share:
- The name and address of the residence of the voter
- The name and address of the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian if that individual is making the request
- The address of the voter to which the application and absentee ballots are to be mailed if different from the residence address of the voter
- One of the following types of identification numbers for the voter:
- North Carolina driver’s license
- North Carolina special identification card for nonoperators
- last four digits of social security number
- The voter’s date of birth.
- The signature of the voter or of the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian, if that individual is making the request
- A clear indicator of the date the election generating the request is to be held
- If a voter who is seeking a ballot for a partisan primary is registered as unaffiliated, the political party in whose primary the voter wishes to participate must be identified. This information enables the board of elections to determine which type of ballot to send to the voter.
How do you vote with an absentee ballot?
Absentee ballots will be mailed out, starting September 4th, 2020.
Normally you’ll need two witnesses, or one witness if the witness is a Notary Public. However, for the November 2020 general election, only one witness is required. In the presence of this witness, mark the ballot. (A witness should not observe so closely that they can see what the voter has marked. They just need to see that the voter is voting the ballot.)
The following individuals are prohibited from serving as a witness on an absentee ballot:
- A person who is under 18
- An individual who is a candidate for nomination or election to such office, unless the voter is the candidate’s near relative
- Additionally, if the voter is a patient or resident of a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or rest home, the following people are also prohibited from serving as a witness on the absentee ballot:
- An owner, manager, director, employee of the hospital, clinic, nursing home, or rest home in which the voter is a patient or resident
- An individual who holds any elective office under the United States, this State, or any political subdivision of this State
- An individual who holds any office in a State, congressional district, county, or precinct political party or organization, or who is a campaign manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party; provided that a delegate to a convention shall not be considered a party office.
Certification of Witnesses and Assistants:
- The voter’s two witnesses (one for November 2020 general election) must, after observing that the voter marking the ballot, complete and sign the envelope in the space designated as Witnesses’ Certification.
- If a voter used the services of a Notary Public as a sole witness, the notary will sign the Notary-Witness Certification.
(A notary is not permitted to charge a fee for witnessing an absentee ballot.) - Any person who assisted the voter must sign and date the certificate in the proper place on the envelope.
Once you mark the ballot, you need to seal the ballot and document in the container-return envelope and complete the Absentee Application and Certificate on the ballot container-return envelope.
Then you must return it to the address for your county no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day.
You can also bring it to your county’s Board of Elections.
Or you can bring it any early voting site. See below.
If you do choose to mail your ballot, the U.S. Post Office has acknowledged that it will take longer than in past years for the ballot to reach its destination, so you should either send it in as soon as possible. They suggest at least a week before Election Day. The sooner the better.
Form for Requesting an Absentee Ballot
Request an absentee ballot via the online portal.
Early Voting Sites
Recognizing the need for safe voting, more (and larger) early voting sites have been added. If you received an absentee ballot you can choose to drop it off at any of these locations during the Early Voting period. Or you can choose to vote in person at any of of these locations.
Early voting takes place from October 15th to October 31st, 7 days a week.
To find an Early Voting location in your county, you can use this lookup tool and enter your county name.
Curbside Voting
In 2020, every voting site in North Carolina offers curbside voting for voters who:
- Are unable to enter the polling place due to age or physical or mental disability;
- Have a medical condition that puts them at increased risk of contracting COVID-19;
- Should not wear a mask due to a medical or behavioral condition or disability; or
- Are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
More information on Curbside Voting
