How to vote early in this year’s election in North Carolina
In-person advance voting is available for all North Carolina voters between Oct. 15 and Oct. 31.
North Carolina’s statewide general election will take place on Nov. 3 this year, with an open U.S. Senate seat, all 14 congressional seats, a state Supreme Court seat, the entire General Assembly, and local offices on the ballot.
In recent weeks, court battles surrounding President Donald Trump’s March executive order restricting who may send and receive a ballot in the mail have created uncertainty about how mail-in voting will work this year.
To make sure their votes count, North Carolina voters may cast early votes in person at locations across the state.
Who may vote early
North Carolina is a no-excuse state, meaning any registered voter may vote in advance in person or by mail.
Eligible voters may register in person and vote on the same day during the entire early-voting period.
Where and when early voting is available
Early voting in North Carolina begins on the third Thursday before Election Day and ends the Saturday before the election.
For the 2026 general election, the 17-day early-voting period will run between Oct. 15 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 31.
North Carolinians may cast their ballots at any early-voting site in their county, regardless of their local polling place or precinct.
Visit vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite for a list of early voting sites and their operating hours.
What you need to do to vote early
Early voters will be asked to show a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or U.S. passport.
Registered voters without an ID may vote on a provisional ballot and must fill out an ID exception form explaining the reason.
Voters may verify that their votes were counted in the Voter Search database at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.
For more information
For questions about how and where to vote early, visit www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-early-person or call the North Carolina State Board of Elections at 919-814-0700.
