Early voting begins on Oct. 20

If you haven't voted before – or even if you have – the following information provided by the State Board of Election may be of interest.

Eligible individuals who want to cast their ballot on Election Day Nov. 8 must register to vote by Friday, Oct. 14.

Individuals who miss that deadline may register and vote at the same time during the one-stop early voting period, Oct. 20-Nov. 5, at any early voting site in their county.

County-by-county early voting sites and schedules are available at the State Board of Elections’ One-Stop Early Voting Site Search. 

To register, eligible individuals have the following options: 

- If you have a North Carolina driver’s license or other DMV identification, you may register to vote online.  

- Any eligible resident can complete a Voter Registration Application in English or Spanish on paper and return it to their county board of elections office by 5 p.m. Oct. 14. 

If an application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if it is postmarked on or before Oct. 14.  

If the postmark is missing or unclear, the application will be processed if it is received in the mail no later than 20 days before the election. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election. 

 If submitted by fax or email, the application must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 14, and a hard copy of the document must be delivered to the county board office by 20 days before the election. 

“We encourage all eligible individuals to register to vote and make their voice heard in 2022,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “It’s easy, and there’s still time, either through the regular process or at any one-stop early voting location in your county.” 

North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day, unless they become eligible after the Oct. 14 registration deadline due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction. 

Seventeen-year-olds who will be 18 years old by the general election on November 8 are eligible to register and vote.

To register to vote, a person must:

- Be a U.S. citizen.

- Live in the county of his/her registration, and have lived there for at least 30 days before the date of the election. 

- Be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote.

- AND not be in jail or prison for a felony conviction.

Updating your voter registration  

Voters who need to update their existing voter registration may use the DMV website or a regular voter registration application to do so.  

Those with a North Carolina driver’s license or other DMV identification may update their residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the DMV online service, but may not change their name through that service.  

If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by Oct. 14. Updates to name, address (if within the county) and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to your county board of elections. If a voter is using the paper form to update their residential address to a new county, they must return the paper form by mail or in person.  

Registered voters may also update an existing registration at a one-stop early voting site during the early voting period.