Early Voting
Register and vote on the same day during early voting!
Early voting in 2026
General election
Thursday, October 15, 2026 - Saturday, October 31, 2026
Election Day is November 3
Find your early voting sites
Use the Early Voting Sites tool to find the early voting sites in your county.
You can vote at any early voting site in your county during early voting.
On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place. Find your Election Day polling place.
Same-day registration instructions
To register and vote the same day during early voting, you must:
Be a US citizen.
Be at least 18 years old by Election Day for the general election (November 3, 2026).
Live in North Carolina and the precinct where you'll vote for 30 days before Election Day.
Not be currently serving a felony sentence and not be currently on probation or parole for a felony conviction. People who have felony convictions have their rights reinstated after sentence is complete (including probation & parole) but must re-register to vote.
Not claim the right to vote in another state.
New requirement
Since 2025, citizens registering to vote for the first time in North Carolina must provide one of the following on their voter registration form:
The last 4 digits of their Social Security number
Their NC drivers license number
Their NC DMV ID number
Proof of address
Voters using same-day registration need to show acceptable documentation to prove their address. The document must include your name and address. You can show the original or a copy. You can show a digital version (on your phone) or a hard copy.
Examples of acceptable documents
Paycheck or payroll stub
Utility bill (including a cell phone bill)
Bank statement
Government check (Social Security, other benefits, etc.)
Government document, including:
Student ID, student web portal, transcript, etc., from a public school, including high schools
Vehicle registration or property tax statement
Citizenship document from U.S. Homeland Security or USCIS
More examples: Numbered Memo 2023-05: Same-Day Registration (updated July 2025)
Learn more: Register in Person During Early Voting (ncsbe.gov)
No changes can be made to your voter registration on Election Day!
Voter photo ID requirements
You can vote with or without photo ID in North Carolina!
If you have an ID, bring it with you.
If you don’t have an ID, ask for the Photo ID Exception Form. Your ballot will count if you properly complete the form.
Note: Voter photo ID is about your face, not the place! The address on your ID does not have to match your voter registration!
Click below to see the full list of accepted IDs.