Voting in North Carolina

Register to vote in North Carolina

Check if you’re registered:

Even if you think you’re registered to vote, it’s always a good idea to double check. This is especially true since many people have moved since the last election. Click here to check your voter registration status in North Carolina, and make sure to update your address if it has changed.

Register to vote:

As a college student, you can register to vote in either the state where you are studying or your home state!

To register to vote in North Carolina, a prospective voter must meet all of the following qualifications:

• Must be a citizen of the United States.
• Must live in the county of their registration, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election.
• Must be at least 18 years old. A prospective voter can submit a registration form if they are 16 or 17 years old, but may not vote until they are 18. If a voter will be 18 for the general election but 17 during the primary, they may vote in the primary.
• Must not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction (including probation or parole). If a prospective voter has previously been convicted of a felony, their citizenship rights are automatically restored but they must re-register to vote.

Register Online

If you have a North Carolina driver’s license or NCDMV-issued ID as well as your social security number, you can register to vote online here.

Register By Mail

Fill out the North Carolina Voter Registration Application, making sure to fill it out and follow all instructions carefully. Print it out, and mail it to your county board of elections, which can be found here.

If you are a student, please consult this graphic (East Campus | West Campus | Off-Campus) as you fill out the application. Feel free to reach out to our Student Voting Coordinator with any questions about your registration.

Register In Person

Your county board of elections will list locations where you can register in-person until the registration deadline.

Municipal Primary Election Registration Deadline: September 15, 2023 at 5pm for the Durham County Municipal Primary Election on October 10, 2023.

Municipal Election Registration Deadline: October 13, 2023 at 5pm for the Durham County Municipal Election on November 7, 2023.

Same-day registration will be available at polling locations during the early voting period for the Municipal Primary Election from September 21, 2023 to October 7, 2023 and for the Municipal Election from October 19, 2023 to November 4, 2023.

To register during the early voting period, you must complete a North Carolina Voter Registration Application as well as show an identifying document such as an NC driver’s license, a photo ID from a government agency, a student photo ID with a school document showing the student’s address or a utility bill, bank statement, payroll stub, or document from any government agency with your name and current address.

If you are a Duke student living on-campus, you will only need to provide your Duke ID when you register at an early voting location during the early voting period. No additional documents are required.

Local County Board of Elections Offices:

Voting

What do I need to vote?

Beginning with the 2023 municipal elections, North Carolina voters will be asked to provide photo identification when voting in-person or by absentee ballot. The North Carolina Board of Elections recently approved Duke University’s Student Voter ID Card as a valid form of identification for use at the polls. Other acceptable forms of identification and additional information on North Carolina’s voter ID requirements can be found on the NC State Board of Elections website. Students can request a Duke Student Voter ID Card here. For more information, visit our “Duke Student Voter ID Card” page.

Where do I cast my ballot?

To find out the location of your polling place on Election Day, visit the North Carolina Board of Elections website or use the Board of Elections’ “Find My Polling Place” tool.

To early vote:

One-stop early voting will be held:

• Municipal Primary and Election: Thursday, September 21, 2023 to Saturday, October 7, 2023
• Municipal Election: Thursday, October 19, 2023 to Saturday, November 4, 2023

Same-day voter registration will also be available during this time. Click here to find one-stop early voting sites in your county.

To vote on Election Day:

You may vote on election day at your assigned polling place in your county. Click here to find your polling place using your address.

• Municipal Primary and Election: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
• Municipal Election: Tuesday, November 7, 2023

To absentee vote:

Absentee-by-mail voting begins on Sunday, September 10th for the October 10th, 2023 Municipal Primary and Election and Sunday, October 8th for the November 7th, 2023 Municipal Election.

First, request an absentee ballot. You can do so by either filling out the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request form and mailing or emailing it to your county board of elections, or you can request it online through the North Carolina State Board of Elections’ Absentee Ballot Request Portal.

Once you have requested your absentee ballot, you can track its status from printed to accepted by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax.

Voters who vote by mail must include a photocopy of an acceptable ID inside the “photo ID envelope” that comes with their ballot. Or they may complete an ID Exception Form with the absentee ballot return envelope.