Voters casting ballots in their municipal election must live in and be registered to vote in the municipality - and, in some cases, a particular ward.
Early Voting
Any North Carolinian who is eligible to vote may still register and vote during the early voting period. You must provide proof of your address. A driver's license or other government document, paycheck, utility bill, or bank statement are acceptable.
During early voting, registered voters may update their name or address within the same county, if necessary.
Voter Photo ID
All voters will be asked to show a photo ID. This means that voters should bring an acceptable form of photo ID with them to their voting site. Most voters will simply show their driver's license, but many other types of IDs will be accepted. Voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID.
The list of acceptable IDs
- North Carolina driver's license
- State ID from the NCDMV, also called "non-operator ID"
- Driver's license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory (only if voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election)
- U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card
- College or university student photo ID approved by the State Board of Elections
- State or local government or charter school employee photo ID approved by the State Board of Elections
Note: A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday.
Other forms of ID
These can used regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date
- Military or veterans ID card with photo issued by the U.S. government
- Tribal enrollment card with photo issued by a tribe recognized by the State of North Carolina or the federal government
- ID card with photo issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the NC for a public assistance program
Note: Although this is an acceptable form of ID under North Carolina law, the State Board is not aware of any such ID in circulation that contains a photo. All IDs for voting are required to have a photo.
Any voter who does not have an acceptable form of ID can get one for free.
Options if you don't have ID
In-person voters who are unable to show an acceptable form of photo identification when voting will cast a provisional ballot and do one of the following:
- Complete a Photo ID Exception Form
- Or, return to their county board of elections office with their photo ID by noon on Friday, Oct. 10
For eligible voters who complete a Photo ID Exception Form, the provisional ballot will be counted unless the county board of elections unanimously determines that information on the Photo ID Exception Form is false.
Click on NC SBE more information about the photo ID requirement.
ID Exceptions
The NC Board of Elections say any voter is unable to show photo ID when voting (whether in person or by mail), they may fill out an ID Exception Form and vote their ballot.
The voter will choose from the following permitted exceptions:
The voter has a "reasonable impediment" to showing photo ID. This means that something is preventing the voter from showing ID. The voter must provide their reason by selecting from the following choices on the form.
You cannot get an ID because of:
- Lack of transportation
- Disability or illness
- Lack of birth certificate or other documents needed to get an ID
- Work or school schedule
- Family responsibilities
- Photo ID is lost, stolen, or misplaced
- Applied for photo ID but have not received it
-- (For mail voters only) Unable to attach a copy of photo ID (Voter must include driver's license number or last four digits of social security number on the form)
Other reasonable impediment (if selected, the voter must write the reason on the form)
- State or federal law prohibits voter from listing the reason
- The voter has a religious objection to being photographed.
- The voter was a victim of a natural disaster within 100 days before Election Day that resulted in a disaster declaration by the President of the United States or the Governor of North Carolina.
Absentee-By-Mail Voters
Voters who vote by mail must include a photocopy of an acceptable ID when returning their ballot, or they may complete an ID Exception Form. The voter places the photocopy of ID or ID Exception Form in a pocket on the outside of the ballot container envelope, which is then placed in an outer return envelope to protect the privacy of the voter.
Note: Military and overseas voters casting ballots under special provisions for these voters are not required to submit a photocopy of their ID or an ID Exception Form when returning their ballot.