The upcoming general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with early voting beginning on Thursday, Oct. 17. The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is Friday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m.
North Carolina residents can register to vote through the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Current NCDMV customers can submit an online voter registration application or register in person. The NCDMV will send the completed application to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Another option is to register to vote by mail. After a North Carolina resident completes all fields of the voter registration application – available in both English and Spanish – they can mail it to their county's board of elections. The Orange County Board of Elections is located in Hillsborough.
In order to register to vote in North Carolina, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Live and reside in the county you are registering in for at least 30 days before Election Day
- Be at least 18 years old by the time of the general election
- Not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, and/or parole
The federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act provides expedited options to military and overseas voters, including the ability to request, receive and deliver voter registration and absentee ballot applications through electronic transmission.
North Carolina residents who are 16 or 17 years old are able to pre-register to vote, and those who pre-register will automatically be registered once they turn 18 years old. They must indicate on their application that they are at least 16 years old and meet the same requirements necessary to qualify as a registered voter.
To check if you are registered to vote, you can visit the N.C. State Board of Elections voter search.
