Voting FAQs

  Voting FAQs

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Empowering Voters.

The League of Women Voters is a respected and known source for accurate and non-partisan voting information. Nationwide, the League engages millions of voters each year, ensuring Americans have the tools they need to participate in elections that determine our future. 

We host events and programs to educate voters about candidates, as well as distribute educational materials about elections. We encourage you to use VOTE411.org, a non-partisan online voter guide brought to you by the League of Women Voters Education Fund that provides critical voting information. You can use VOTE411.org to register to vote, find your polling place, get early voting information, learn about the candidates, and more. And be sure to share this resource with others  – VOTE411 provides meticulously researched bilingual (English and Spanish) election information in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and provides updated information throughout the year as information changes.

"I have used the guide since I became an American Citizen and started to vote.  Thank you for helping me understand the issues important to our community. " – a VOTE411 user

VOTE411 provides:

Voter Registration Support 

Voting Info

  • Use the first-time voter checklist. Feel empowered to vote by following these easy steps. 

  • Explore voting info by state 

  • Eligibility requirements 

  • Voting machine explanations 

  • Find your polling place location and hours 

  • Check your election options (mail-in, early voting) and deadlines 

  • Absentee ballot information and request tool 

Candidate and Ballot Info 

  • Customized to your address, see the candidates and ballot issues on your personal ballot.  

  • Detailed information on the candidates, including LWV-provided questions to the candidates and their responses, in their own words!  

  • Hear directly from the candidates on their vision for their communities and America’s future and can compare candidates side by side before making your selections. 

  • Discover debates and forums in your area 

  • And more! 

VIDEOS

Be sure to watch our latest videos that explain what happens AFTER you vote in North Carolina – how ballots are tracked and tabulated, who is involved, and how the public can observe this transparent process. 

Below, you will find some Frequently Asked Questions about voting in North Carolina. Please create a plan to vote in every election – make your voice heard!

Additionally, please head to the N.C. State Board of Elections website for answers to many of your questions about Voter Registration, Photo ID, Voting by Mail, and Voting on Election Day.    

REGISTERING TO VOTE

  • Am I eligible to register to vote in North Carolina? You must be 18 years old or older, a US citizen, and a resident of North Carolina. (If you are 17 years old, you may register to vote if you will be 18 by the time of the next General Election.)

  • Where can I register to vote? You can print a voter registration application and mail it to your County Board of Elections. You may also register to vote online through the Division of Motor Vehicles or at public assistance agencies.

  • How soon do I need to register in order to vote in an election? The voter registration deadline is 25 days prior to an election. Or, you can do same-day registration during the one-stop early voting period and immediately cast your ballot.

  • Do I need to update my voter registration if I'm already registered? You may need to update your voter registration if your address, name, party affiliation, or other information has changed since the last election. You can also use the online DMV portal to update your address or change your political party. You can do a quick voter search to find out if you are already registered and to see if your voter information is up to date.

ONLINE VOTER SERVICES

  • Is it true that I can register to vote online? Yes. The State Board of Elections and NCDMV now offer certain online voter registration services for existing DMV customers. If you are a DMV customer with a N.C. driver’s license or DMV-issued ID, you may now register to vote or change certain parts of your registration online

  •  What parts of my registration can be changed online? Existing DMV customers may register to vote, update their voter registration address, or update their party affiliation. They may not change their name.

  •  Is this only to be used in conjunction with other DMV services? No. This is a standalone service that does not require the user to complete a DMV transaction (such as duplicate or license renewal) at the same time.
  • How much do these online services cost? There is no fee for online voter registration services. 

VOTER IDENTIFICATION 

  • Do I need to show my voter registration card in order to vote? Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina, starting with the 2023 municipal elections. Go to the NC Board of Elections for more information about Voter ID. You can also find more information from LWVNC here

POLLING PLACES 

  • Where is my election day polling place? Use the NC Board of Elections voter lookup tool to locate your voting information which includes your election day polling place.

  • Can I vote at any of the early voting locations? Yes, one-stop voting allows registered voters to vote at any one-stop absentee voting site in the county. Use this tool to find an early voting location. 

    ABSENTEE MAIL-IN BALLOTS

  • Can I vote using an absentee ballot even if I'm not "absent" from the area on election day? Yes, any registered voter may use a mail-in absentee ballot. Be mindful of the deadlines for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot. Learn more by watching this brief video

  • How do I get an absentee-by-mail ballot? The Absentee Ballot Request Form is available on the NC State Board of Elections website. This form must be printed, completed by the voter or near-relative, signed, and delivered by mail (USPS, FedEx, DHL, or UPS) or in person to your local county board of elections. As of July 13, 2020, it may also be emailed or faxed to the voter's county board of elections office. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call your county board of election office to request the form. On Sept. 1, 2020, the NCSBE.gov website added an easy-to-use online portal to request your absentee-by-mail ballot. Request forms delivered by the deadline will be considered timely. To ensure that county boards of elections are able to promptly process voters' absentee requests, it is strongly recommended that forms be submitted directly to the appropriate county board of elections office.

  • Can I vote in person even if I received an absentee ballot? Yes. If you have not yet returned your voted absentee-by-mail ballot, you may vote at an early voting polling site or at your precinct on Election Day. You may destroy your unvoted absentee-by-mail ballot once you have voted in person.

  • How do I know that people are not voting absentee AND in person? Once your absentee-by-mail ballot is received and accepted by the Board of Election, you will be marked as voted in your voter record, and your name will not appear in the poll book at early voting or on Election Day. Should there be a delay in recording your absentee-by-mail vote, the Board of Election will be able to retrieve your absentee ballot and destroy it so that only your in-person ballot will be counted. Learn more by watching this brief video
     
  • How will I know if my absentee ballot has been received and counted? 
    When absentee by mail ballots are returned to your county Board of Election, they are reviewed by staff to make sure the ballot application form on the envelope is fully and correctly completed. If there are missing or questionable items, a staff member will notify you in writing to tell you what you will need to do to correct the problem. Every county BOE office will follow the same procedure to allow voters an opportunity to correct missing or incomplete information. Once a determination has been made to approve or reject the ballot, it will be posted on the Voter/Absentee Lookup tool at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. Following the directions on that link, you will be able to review the status of your absentee by mail ballot: if the returned ballot was received and if it was “approved.” Learn more by watching this brief video. 

  • How is my absentee ballot counted? 

    Each absentee ballot container envelope is evaluated by the appointed members of the Board of Elections, who make the final determination of whether the ballot application should be approved. This is done starting five weeks before the election. After the polls close on Election Day at 7:30pm, the approved absentee-by-mail ballots are counted, and their results are included in the final Canvass of the election. Absentee-by-mail ballots that have been approved are always counted and included in the election results. Learn more by watching this brief video. 

PREPARING TO VOTE

  • When are the next elections? We have an election of some kind every year. In any given year there is an election for municipal and county officials, school board members, state legislators, council of state members, judges, governor, US representatives and senators, US president, and others. Fortunately, we don't elect them all in the same year. The NC State Board of Elections provides a calendar of upcoming elections. Learn more by watching this brief video. 

  • What races and candidates are on my ballot? The races on your ballot will depend on the various voting districts in which you live. Use the voter look up tool to see your different voting jurisdictions and see your sample ballot. The League of Women Voters’ VOTE411.org site can help you create a personal ballot.

  • If I'm an unaffiliated voter, can I vote in the primary election? When you registered to vote, you had the option to affiliate with a particular political party, e.g. Republican or Democrat. If you choose to remain unaffiliated, in North Carolina you still have the opportunity to vote in the primary election. You may request a nonpartisan ballot which includes only nonpartisan contests, e.g. judges, referenda, etc. If you prefer, you may instead choose the primary election ballot for one of the political parties.

  • How can I learn about the candidates? The League of Women Voters' VOTE411.org site compares many candidates' positions side-by-side. For some local elections, we develop nonpartisan voter guides and sponsor candidate forums. Watch our website and social media pages for information related to local elections.

EARLY VOTING

  • Who may vote at early voting locations? Any eligible NC voter may vote at any early voting location within their county. 

  • I missed the voter registration deadline. May I register and vote at an early voting location? Yes. Eligible individuals may register and vote during the early voting period. NOTICE TO SAME-DAY REGISTRANTS

  • I am a college student. What are my options for registering and voting? College students may register to vote in the county/state of their home address or in the county/state where they are attending college. Students who are already registered to vote in their hometown but now reside in another community can vote by mail by requesting an absentee ballot. Or, take advantage of early voting during a trip home that falls during the Early Voting period.  

  • May I change my party affiliation at an early voting location? No. Changes to party affiliation cannot be made during the early voting period.

  • How can I determine whether I’m registered to vote? Check your voter registration status.

  • Why are the lines so long at early voting locations? Lines are generally not long during the first days of early voting. Voting lines are the longest on the final 3 days of early voting.

  • I heard that if I vote at an early voting location, my vote may not get counted. Is that true? No. Your vote will be counted on Election Day along with the ballots cast in the polling places.

  • May any registered North Carolina Voter vote absentee by mail? Yes, and it is easy. Learn more about the process

HOW VOTES ARE COUNTED IN NORTH CAROLINA

(Be sure to watch our new video that goes into further detail about what happens once the polls close on Election Day! And this promotional flyer complements the What Happens After You Vote in NC video.

  • What is the canvass? Much of the actual counting of the votes takes place after the polls close at 7:30 on election night. Canvass is the normal reconciliation process for all elections. This is open to the public, and we encourage you to attend those meetings at your county Board of Elections.During canvass, all the ballots, voter records, and vote counts are processed and finalized to come up with the final results of an election. Canvass takes place over 10 days following the closing of the polls on election day. Learn more by watching this brief video. 

  • What exactly takes place during the canvass? a) The sample audit counts (a hand-to-eye count of the ballot) are done to make sure that the tabulators were accurately recording the votes that were marked on ballots. b) All the ballots voted and unvoted and Authorization to Vote forms are reconciled to make sure all the numbers match. c) The provisional ballots are counted. d) The absentee-by-mail ballots that had not been received or tabulated prior to the election are evaluated, approved, and counted. All of these ballots must have been postmarked on or before election day. e) Candidates whose results were within a certain percentage can request a recount. f) Canvass is the time when any irregularity can trigger an investigation of the election by the State Investigation Division. Learn more by watching this brief video. 

  • Can you further explain hand-to-eye recounts? They are done either during the standard county audit process or, in the case of close elections, when a recount is requested by one of the candidates. Each ballot is analyzed by two bi-partisan workers (one from each party) to examine and count the vote recorded on the ballot marked by each voter. The ballot itself preserves the record of the voter’s selection and is permanent. Small variances are expected between the canvassed results and the recount results. In a 2016 statewide recount in the state auditor’s race, Chuck Stuber trailed Beth Wood by about 6,000 votes before the recount. After the recount, Wood won by about 6,050 votes out of more than 4.5 million cast in that election. Learn more by watching this brief video

  • What happens after canvass? The State Board of Elections certifies all election contests, and the winners are officially known.

  • Should the election results be trusted? Yes. There has been no evidence of hacking in North Carolina, even though we do have proof that the Russians tried to access our election in 2016. At polling locations, no computers, tabulators, or other voting machines are connected to the Internet. Your votes are recorded directly from your ballot and do not go through an Internet connection. The State Board of Elections is aware that this can happen and are looking for it. They are on guard. They take our elections very seriously. Additionally, most counties in NC use hand-marked paper ballots. The few counties that do not use hand-marked paper ballots instead use electronic voting machines that produce a paper version of the marked ballot. These paper ballots can be audited and recounted after the election if there are questions or concerns. Learn more by watching this brief video

  • How can I take part in the transparent process of observing my County Board of Election as it tabulates the election results? Voters can attend the review meetings that will be scheduled weekly before the election. Check your County Board of Elections website for dates/times. Sometimes, you can access these meetings remotely. If you'd like to report back to the League about what you witnessed during the meeting, this page provides further instruction and this form is easy to fill out and submit.  

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