GREENSBORO, N.C. — Election Day in North Carolina is Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. WFMY News 2 has you covered on how to make your vote count. Be sure to check our elections page for the latest results on Election Day. In this voter guide, we've got information on registering to vote, looking up your sample ballot and precinct, voting early, voting by mail, voting on election day, and tracking your ballot.
Let's start with some important dates.
Saturday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. – One-stop early voting ends
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. – 2022 Statewide General Election
Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. – Absentee ballot return deadline
REGISTER TO VOTE
Before voting, you can check to see if you're already registered to vote in North Carolina.
If you miss the October 14 deadline to register online, you can still register to vote at a one-stop early voting location.
To register in North Carolina you must:
Be a United States citizen.
Live in the county where you are registering and have lived there for at least 30 days before the date of the election.
Be 18 years old by the day of the next General Election. You may pre-register to vote if you are at least 16 years old.
Not be in jail or prison for a felony conviction.
FIND SAMPLE BALLOT/PRECINCT
Want to see what candidates are on your ballot and your voting location? Just use the Voter Search Tool on the State Board of Elections website.
It'll ask you for your first and last name, voter status, and county. From there, click search.
It'll lead to a page that shows your county, voter status, full name, and city/state/zip. Click on the link to your name.
Then, you'll see your voting location for Election Day or you can click the link to see the early voting locations in your county.
Scroll a bit further to see a link to your sample ballot for the November 8 election. Here's an example of one of the Guilford County sample ballots.
VOTING EARLY
You can vote early in North Carolina. The early voting period for the 2022 general election begins Thursday, October 20, and ends at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 5.
Registered voters may cast an absentee ballot in person during this time. This period is sometimes called "one-stop early voting."
If you aren't registered, you can still register and cast your ballot at any early voting site in your county on the same day. This is different than Election Day, where registered voters must vote at their assigned polling place.
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VOTING BY MAIL
Can't make it to the ballot in person? You can vote by mail in North Carolina. Here are a few steps you'll need to take to do so.
Request a Ballot
As long as you're registered to vote, you can vote via mail-in absentee ballot. Registered voters must put in a request to receive an official N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form. Here's how you can submit the form:
Online with "Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot" on N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
On paper with English N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (PDF) or Spanish N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022.
After you submitted a request, you can track the status through this website: BallotTrax.
A close relative or legal guardian may request a ballot on your behalf.
Fill out your Ballot
Mark your ballot in front of two witnesses or a public notary.
Seal your ballot and place it in the return envelope that came with your ballot. Do not put anything else in the envelope.
Sign your name on the back of the envelope.
Each witness must sign and print their name and provide their address on the back of the envelope.
Anyone who assisted you, such as a close relative or legal guardian, must sign and print their name, providing their address on the back as well.
Returning your Ballot
Mail in your ballot using the return envelope provided and postmark it for Election Day, Nov. 8.
Return your ballot in person to the county board of elections office or a one-stop early voting site in your county. If you're handing it in on Election Day, it must be received by 5 p.m. (You cannot return your ballot to a polling site on Election Day.)
You or a close relative are the only ones who can mail in, or hand deliver your ballot, according to NC state laws.
The deadline to request a voter absentee ballot form from your county board of elections is Tuesday, November 1 - one week before election day.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
Looking to cast your vote on Election Day? We've got you covered. Voters in North Carolina voters can find their polling place on North Carolina's site.
If you've voted in the state of North Carolina before, you won't need to show your ID to vote.
If you registered to vote for the first time and did not provide a North Carolina driver's license number or the last four of your tax ID number/social on your registration application, or you provided one that could not be validated, you will be required to show your ID.
Proof of an ID includes a current and valid photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government documents that show your name and address.
North Carolina does not offer registration on Election Day.
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TRACKING YOUR BALLOT
Election Day will be here on November 8, and you want to make sure your vote counts. There's a way to do that.
If you voted by mail, you can track your absentee ballot. You can find the status of your ballot in three different ways.
Go through BallotTrax, use the State Board's Voter Search Tool, or contact your county elections office.
Absentee by-mail voters who choose to track their ballot by BallotTrax can track the status of their ballot from when it was mailed to when it was received by the county board of elections.
What happens after you mail in or drop off your ballot at the elections office?
According to the board of elections, staff will review the ballot to make sure it's completed. After that, it will be put into the voting machine but it is not tabulated and reported until Election Day.
BallotTrax will tell you if your ballot was accepted or if your ballot cannot be accepted because of missing signatures or witness information. You can also sign up for text alerts for status updates.
When your county board of elections marks your ballot as accepted, that information will appear in that voter's record available through the State Board's Voter Search Tool.