North Carolina voters who vote by mail can now track the status of their absentee ballot with a new online service called BallotTrax.
It’s one of three ways voters who cast their ballot by mail in North Carolina can ensure their ballot has been received by the county board of elections, without leaving their homes.
The BallotTrax service launched Friday, Sept. 11, and is available through links on the State Board of Elections’ website, ncsbe.gov.
“BallotTrax allows North Carolina voters to keep tabs on their mail-in absentee ballot from the comfort of their home,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “By tracking their ballot, the voter can have peace of mind that their ballot was received by their county board of elections.”
BallotTrax allows voters with valid absentee ballot requests to create an account. (Note: Voters who do not vote by mail will not be able to use BallotTrax.) With an account, voters will be able to:
- Log in to view the status of their absentee by-mail request and ballot. This includes confirmation that the county board of elections has received the request, that the ballot has been mailed to the voter and that the completed ballot has been received by the county board of elections.
- Learn if their ballot cannot be accepted because of issues such as a missing signature or witness information. If this occurs, the county board of elections will provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue.
- Sign up for email, text, and/or voice alerts for status updates.
By-mail voters who do not use BallotTrax may also determine the status of their ballot by:
- Using the State Board’s Voter Search tool, which will display when the ballot is accepted by the county board of elections; or
- Contacting their county board of elections to ask about the status of a ballot.
Requesting a Ballot
To request a ballot, eligible voters may use the online Absentee Ballot Request Portal or complete an Absentee Ballot Request Form [link no longer active] and mail, email, fax, or hand deliver the form to their county board of elections.
Important Tips About Voting by Mail
- No special circumstance or reason is needed to request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot. Any North Carolina registered voter may request and receive a mail-in absentee ballot for the 2020 general election.
- Although the request deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 27, the State Board encourages voters who wish to vote by mail to request a ballot as soon as possible.
- Your county board of elections began sending ballots on Sept. 4 to those who requested them. If you have already requested a ballot and do not receive it by Sept. 20, email or call your county board of elections to ask about the status of your request.
As always, North Carolina voters have three options for voting: mail-in absentee, in-person during the early voting period, and in-person on Election Day. Significant health safeguards will be in place for voters who cast their ballot in person.