County Board Kit

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Need to find answers to common inquiries? Scan this media kit-style page, where county boards of elections may locate responses to questions asked frequently by the media and general public.

For guidance related to North Carolina election data, visit How to Work with Our Data.

Page Content:

• Data
• Dates
• Voting
• Registration
• Security
• Educational Materials

Data

• Resources:
  • Visit the Results & Data section of our website.
  • Visit our public FTP site for direct access to all public data files.
  • Visit How to Work with Our Data for detailed information and instructions on how to view registered voter lists, turnout and voter history, history stats, election results, registration stats, and more.

Dates, Events and Voting Schedules

• Resources:
  • View the elections calendar.
  • View upcoming SBE events (filtered view). or upcoming SBE events (calendar view).
  • See if any upcoming State Board meetings are scheduled.
  • See Upcoming Election for details on the next elections.

Voting

• To view your sample ballot:
  • Use the Voter Search (Select the Sample Ballot tab on your voter record).

Note: Sample ballots are available close to election dates, once ballots have been prepared.

Absentee by Mail or Mail-in Voting

• General information:
  • Visit Vote by Mail.
• For instructions on requesting, completing, and returning your ballot:
  • Visit Detailed Instructions for Voting by Mail.
• To find more information about voting by mail:
  • Visit FAQ: Voting by Mail. 
• To request a ballot online:
  • Use the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
• To see the status of your ballot:
  • Use BallotTrax (dashboard is active only during voting season).
• To find absentee voting stats:
  • Visit Absentee and Provisional Data.

Early Voting

• General Information:
  • Visit Vote Early in Person.
• To find early voting sites and hours in your county:
  • Use the Early Voting Site Search.
• To learn about registering during the early voting period:
  • Visit Register in Person During Early Voting to learn about same-day registration.
• To see how early voting will show up on your voter history:
  • See # 6 on Your Voter Record.

In-Person Voting

• General Information:
  • Visit Vote Early in Person.
  • Visit Vote in Person on Election Day.
• To find your polling place:
  • Use the Voter Search.
  • Use the Polling Place Search.
• To learn about accommodations at the polls:
  • Visit Help for Voters with Disabilities.
  • Visit Assistance for Voters in Care Facilities.
  • Visit Curbside Voting.
• To learn about Voter Photo ID:
  • Visit Voter ID.
• To learn about voting a provisional ballot:
  • Visit Provisional Voting.

Registration

• To register to vote:
  • Visit How to Register.
• To update your registration:
  • Visit Updating Registration.
  • Read Choosing Your Party Affiliation.
• The Voter Search can help you:
  • Check your registration status.
  • View your sample ballot.
  • View your voter history.
  • Find your voting districts.
  • Find your Election Day polling place.
• To understand election districts:
  • Visit Voting Maps/Redistricting.
  • Visit Legislative and Congressional Redistricting.

Election Security

• To ensure your vote counted:
  • Read How to Know Your Vote Counted in North Carolina (Updated Oct. 28, 2022)
  • Use the Voter Search to find your voter record.
  • Visit Your Voter Record to learn how to navigate the Voter Search.
• To learn how the State Board and county boards of elections secure elections:
  • Visit Election Security.
  • Read Preparing for Accurate Elections and Post-Election Procedures and Audits.
  • Read about the Investigations Division.
  • Read 10 Facts About Election Security in North Carolina.
  • Read about Cybersecurity.
  • View our comic strip, Mark’s Journey (PDF), to follow a North Carolina paper ballot from election preparation through the voting and auditing process.

Educational Materials

• Youth and young adult educational materials about voting:
  • Mark’s Journey (PDF): Comic strip that follows a North Carolina paper ballot from election preparation through the voting and auditing process.
  • Mark the Ballot Presents Primary Elections 101 (PDF): Voter tips and information regarding the 2022 primary, presented by Mark the Ballot.