The State Board of Elections is reminding residents that the deadline to register to vote in North Carolina in the 2020 primary election is Friday, Feb. 7.
For more information about registering, visit How to Register.
Individuals who miss the regular voter registration deadline may still register and vote at any one-stop early voting site in their county during the early voting period, Feb. 13-29. To see the early voting sites in your county, go here: Early Voting Site Search.
At an early voting site, registered voters may update their address, but not their party affiliation. Registered voters who wish to change their party affiliation must do so by Feb. 7.
For more information about same-day registration, visit Register in Person During Early Voting.
“The State Board encourages every eligible North Carolina resident to make sure they’re registered before the primary election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “This includes making any changes, such as address and party affiliation.”
To confirm your registration status, use the State Board’s Voter Search tool.
To register, individuals must meet certain qualifications and complete a voter registration form:
- NC Voter Registration Application in English (fillable PDF)
- NC Voter Registration Application in Spanish (fillable PDF)
Applications are available at the state and county boards of elections, public libraries, public high schools, college admissions offices and many state agencies.
Once completed, the applicant must sign the form, and mail it or return it in person to their county board of elections. Voters who are already registered may update their information by submitting a voter registration form by email, fax, mail, or in-person to their county board of elections.
To find the address of your local board of elections, use the county board lookup tool: County Boards of Elections Search.
Prospective voters must meet the following qualifications to register to vote:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Have been a resident of North Carolina, the county, and precinct for 30 days before the election;
- Be at least 18 years old; 17-year-olds may register and vote in a primary election if they will be 18 at the time of the general election; and
- Not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction (including probation or parole). (Citizenship and voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of the sentence. No special document is needed.)
Note: Voters are not required to show photo ID for the March 2020 primary election. In a Dec. 31 order [link no longer active] a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the court.