Early in-person voting starts Thursday in North Carolina, giving voters a chance to cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. You’re also still able to register to vote even if you missed last week's deadline.
A total of 370 early voting sites will open statewide, and people can find their local sites online at the state or county election board websites. Voters can cast their ballots at any early voting location in the county where they're registered, rather than having to visit their assigned Election Day precinct.
But before heading to the polls, voters should check their location's hours, bring an acceptable photo ID and make sure their registration information is up to date.
Early in-person voting runs from Oct. 15 through Oct. 31. The exact days and hours that polling places will be open varies by county.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
In past elections, most North Carolinians have voted during early voting rather than on Election Day itself.
Here's what to know to be prepared:
Where and when can I vote?
Wake County voters will have 18 early voting locations to choose from, including sites in Raleigh, Apex and Garner.
Among them are Abbott's Creek Community Center in north Raleigh, Barwell Road Community Center in southeast Raleigh, Apex Community Center and Avery Street Recreation Center in Garner.
Voters don't need to pick the location closest to their home. Any of the county's early voting sites will work.
Wake County's early voting hours are:
- Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturdays, Oct. 17 and 24: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Sundays, Oct. 18 and 25: 1 to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Don’t live in Wake County? Voters can find which polling location matches with their address and check locations and hours using the state's early voting site lookup.
Some may also want to double-check which days they can vote, since those aren't the same every year. This year, election officials in many but not all counties ended Sunday voting.
Election officials say the first and last days of early voting are often the busiest.
Can I still register to vote?
You can still register and vote during early in-person voting. However, for people who plan to vote by mail or on Election Day itself, it's too late: the registration deadline for those options is over.
For those who want to register to vote or update their information during early voting, they must be an eligible voter and provide proof of their current address, such as a driver's license, utility bill, bank statement or government document.
They must have lived in their county for at least 30 days before Election Day.
Same-day registration is not available for most voters on Nov. 3.
What should I bring?
A photo ID.
Accepted IDs include a North Carolina driver's license, U.S. passport and certain state-issued or approved student IDs.
Most IDs must be unexpired or expired for one year or less. Different rules apply to voters 65 and older, military IDs and certain other forms of identification.
Forgot yours? You can still cast a provisional ballot and bring an acceptable ID to your county elections board no later than 12 p.m. on Nov. 10.
Voters who cannot provide ID may also request an exemption to the rules by filling out a form if they can claim one of multiple acceptable reasons for not having an ID. However, state officials recently rewrote the rules to make it easier to throw out people's ballots if election administrators decide they don't believe a voters' claim on that exemption form.
Can I bring my phone?
Yes, to look up candidate information. But taking a photo of your completed ballot is illegal, and voters cannot use their phones to communicate with others while inside the voting booth.
What about voting by mail?
Voters who already received an absentee ballot can return it to an election official at an early voting location in their county, to their county elections board or by mail. You can track its progress through the mail using the state's BallotTrax app.
And those who change their minds don't have to vote by mail even if they requested a mail-in ballot. They can simply go vote in person instead, as long as they don't vote twice.
Curbside voting is available for voters who cannot enter a polling place without physical assistance because of age or disability.
Voters may also request help from poll workers or bring an eligible person to assist them.
What's on my ballot?
Voters will decide races for Congress, the state legislature, courts and local offices, along with ballot questions that vary by location.
To see a sample ballot with your specific candidates and ballot questions, use the state's voter lookup tool.
