WUNC is bringing you all the information you need for the 2024 election. See our full coverage, read about the candidates in statewide elections, or sign up for our politics newsletter or the politics podcast. You can learn how to find your sample ballot.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Are you ready? Where can you find a sample ballot? What kind of ID do you need? Does your vote really matter?
Polls show North Carolina as one of the nation's swing states that are likely to determine the outcome of the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. The 16 Electoral College votes available in North Carolina could go a long way in determining the outcome.
In North Carolina, there are 10 statewide races on the ballot this year. Those include the race for governor and attorney general, but also lesser known positions like commissioners of insurance and agriculture. WUNC has profiles on those races, as well as an analysis of a statewide ballot initiative about citizen voting.
In the March primary, just more than 1.8 million voters cast a ballot, or less than one-quarter of those registered to vote.
Register to Vote
You can no longer register at your county board of elections, however same-day registration is available at early voting locations. Same-day registration, or sometimes called one-stop voting, is not available on Election Day.
FACT: 75 of 80 planned early voting sites in Western NC will be open throughout the early voting period, from Oct. 17 through Nov. 2. That is remarkable, considering Helene's destruction.
— NCSBE (@NCSBE) October 12, 2024
Please stop spreading false information. #ncpol #YourVoteCountsNC
In order to register at an early voting site, voters must provide proof of residence, which includes any of the following documents that includes the voter's current address:
- North Carolina driver's license.
- Other photo identification issued by a government agency, provided that the card includes the voter’s current name and address.
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
- For students living on campus, a document from an educational institution with the student’s name and on-campus housing address. Or, an educational institution may provide the county board of elections a list of students residing in particular campus housing, which will suffice if a student living in campus housing shows a valid student photo identification card.
The county board of elections will verify the voter's information and update the database. If everything is filed correctly, the vote cast on that early voting day will county just like any other.
Voter ID
It is now a requirement in North Carolina to show a form of photo identification in order to vote. Most voters will use a state-issued driver's license, but there are many other forms of accepted identification. Read more specific details from the NCSBE here. All county boards of elections can issue free photo IDs that voters can obtain at their county's board of elections.
Passports are accepted, as are most college or university student IDs, as well as tribal enrollment cards, military or veterans ID cards as long as they have a photo of the voter.
Vote Early
On October 17, early voting will begin. This has been an increasingly popular method of voting in North Carolina, as voters are choosing not to wait in line on Election Day. Operating times for early voting sites vary slightly, but are generally open for the bulk of every Monday through Saturday, and some are open in the afternoons of the two Sundays as well.
Election Day is just one month away! You can vote by mail, in-person during the early voting period, or on November 5. Plan your vote now!#YourVoteCountsNC #NCpol #BringItNC pic.twitter.com/3BKeto593o
— NCSBE (@NCSBE) October 9, 2024
The N.C. Board of Elections has an easy tool to find the early voting location nearest to you. Importantly, these early voting sites are not the same as your precinct for Election Day. So check the early voting sites web page, and do not go to the voting place listed on your voter registration card.
Early voting runs through 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, the Saturday before Election Day. Early voting is not available on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Vote on Election Day
If you prefer to vote on Election Day, polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Note that if you are in line by 7:30 p.m., even if you have not actually cast your vote, you will still be able to vote.
There are many voting places across the state. The best way to find yours is to put in your address here and find your voting place. The board of elections even has photos from most of the polling sites to help ensure you get to the right place.
Curbside Voting
Every voting site in North Carolina offers the ability to vote from a vehicle if the voter is 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.
Curbside voting instructions are posted at voting places and a precinct official will come out to your car to help you vote. A curbside voter has the same rights to assistance as any other voter.
