Unlike on Election Day, early voting is offered only at select sites, so be prepared for the possibility of long lines. Lines are historically shortest on the first days of early voting, according to Wake County officials. The busiest times are around lunchtime on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays and the last three days of the early voting period.
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This election does not include any statewide or national offices. It's an election exclusively for municipal offices. But that doesn't mean the election is not important; many of these elected officials will make decisions that have wide reaching implications for individuals across North Carolina.
You can vote at any early voting location in your municipality. To look up your nearest voting location and its hours, click here.
Durham
Durham has several key seats up for grabs in this election, including mayor and city council.
Mike Woodard and Leonardo Williams were the top two vote getters in the October primary and will face off for the office in this election.
Nate Baker, Javiera Caballero, Carl Rist, Khalilah Karim, Shelia Ann Huggins, and Monique Holsey-Hyman will face off for the three open seats on the Durham City Council.
There are five open early voting locations across Durham.
- North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road
- NCCU - Turner Law Building, 640 Nelson St.
- Durham County Main Library, 300 N Roxboro St.
- South Regional Library, 4505 S Alston Ave.
- East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane
Hours for early voting in Durham vary depending on the day.
Chapel Hill
The 2023 Election in Chapel Hill is in the spotlight as new candidates enter the mayoral race to win over voters who are "very closely divided," according to Public Policy Polling director Tom Jensen.
Forty-percent of poll respondents said they're "not sure," who they'd vote for mayor just weeks before Election Day on Nov. 7. Adam Searing and Jess Anderson are the candidates on the ballot. Click here for more on the race.
Cary
One race during Cary's general election in October ended without a candidate achieving 50% of the vote. That race has gone to a run-off.
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Cary Town Council District D ended with the top two candidates, Sarika Bansal and Rachel Jordan, separated by fewer than 1,000 votes. Those two will face off again, this time without Ryan Eades, who garnered 1,088 votes, on the ballot.
Four locations are open for early voting in Wake County (general elections are also up for grabs in Angier, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell & Zebulon):
- Herbert C. Young Community Center, 101 Wilkinson Ave., Cary
- Wake County Board of Elections Office, 1200 N. New Hope Road., Raleigh
- Avery Street Recreation Center, 125 Avery St., Garner
- John M. Brown Community Center, 53 Hunter St., Apex
For updated hours of operation at these early voting sites, click here.
Fayetteville
Fayetteville residents will have an opportunity to elect their mayor. Plus, two districts in Fayetteville will vote for candidates to fill open city council seats.
There are two early voting locations in Cumberland County: the Board of Elections Office & the Cliffdale Recreation Center.
The Board of Elections is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and then from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.
The Cliffdale Recreation Center is open Monday-Friday from 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. and then from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.
Voter registration
Are you already registered to vote? Check your registration with the Voter Search Tool.
If not, you might qualify to register to vote on the same day you go to early voting. Learn about those details here.
What's on your ballot?
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Click on Sample Ballot and enter your information if you would like to see what's on it before heading to the poll.
Note that not all municipalities have November elections this year. Sample ballots will only be available at this time for districts that have 2023 November elections.
Voter ID
New this year, voters will be expected to have a photo ID in order to vote. However, voters without a valid form of identification will not be turned away.
Here's ABC11's full voter's guide, complete with details about what ID you need and what to do if you don't have a photo ID.
Track your ballot
Voting by mail? You can sign up to track your ballot in North Carolina. Click on track my ballot to signup.
What type of equipment is used for early voting?
To see what your county uses for one-stop early voting click on voting equipment and see the state map for "One-Stop Early voting equipment county-by-county."
More election stories
5 things every NC voter should know before casting their ballot
You can register and vote at one-stop early voting in North Carolina
Election terms and history every voter should know