NC State Board Of Elections Guidelines To Voter Registration

Registering to Vote in North Carolina

To register to vote in North Carolina, a person must meet the qualifications to vote and complete a voter registration application online at https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Voter_Registration/NCVoterRegForm_06W.pdf

N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles customers may also register to vote and update their registrations (except name change) online at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx

Qualifications to Vote

To register to vote in North Carolina, you must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a U.S. citizen;

• Live in the county of his/her registration, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election;

• Be at least 18 years old, or will be by the date of the general election. 16- and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote.
17-year-olds may 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, parole, or post-release supervision. Once an individual has completed a felony sentence or been pardoned, he/she is eligible to register and vote. No additional documentation is needed. For more information on voting rights for those in the North Carolina criminal justice system, see website: www.ncsbe.gov/Portals/0/Documents/VotingRightsGuide_CriminalJusticeSystem.pdf

The State Board of Elections and N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles now offer certain online voter registration services for existing DMV customers.

If you are a DMV customer with a N.C. driver’s license or DMV-issued ID, you may now register to vote or change certain parts of your registration online at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx

Using this service existing DMV customers may register to vote, update their voter registration address, or update their party affiliation. They may not change their name.

This is a standalone service that does not require the user to complete a DMV transaction (such as duplicate or license renewal) at the same time.

There is no fee for voter registration services.

Voter registration applications submitted fewer than 25 days before an election will not be processed until after the election. You may still register to vote in person using same-day registration in your county during the early voting period.

Updating or Changing Your Voter Registration
How?

The North Carolina Voter Registration Application may be used to change any voting information, including name, address, and party affiliation. The change notification must be signed, and should be sent to the appropriate county board of elections by the voter registration deadline (25 days before each election). Updates to name, address, and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email. A wet ink (physical) signature is not required.

Division of Motor Vehicles customers may update their voter registration residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the DMV service at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx This service does not currently allow voters to change their name.

What if I have moved?

When you move within your county, you should complete an in-county change of address. This can be completed on your voter identification card, by signed letter to your local board of elections, or on the voter registration application.

Division of Motor Vehicles customers may update their voter registration residential or mailing address and party affiliation through DMV at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx

If you move during a time close to an election, the following rules apply:

• If you moved more than 30 days prior to the election, you must update your registration with your new address (or if applicable, register to vote in your new county of residence) no later than 25 days prior to the election, or use same-day registration to update your address. If you don’t update your voter registration by Election Day, you may still vote at your new polling location, as long as your move is within the same county. Since your move was unreported, you may be asked to vote a provisional ballot. You may also vote provisionally at your old polling place but you may not receive a ballot with all the contests you are eligible to vote in. You can also vote at a central transfer precinct; contact your county board of elections, visit https://vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo/ for more information about this option.

• If you have moved fewer than 30 days prior to the election, you must vote in your prior polling place.

It is important that the board of elections is able to contact you by mail to inform you of changes to your polling place and/or voting districts, so be sure to notify the board of any changes to your mailing address, if different from your residential address.

What about other changes?

If you need to make other changes to your voter record (name change, party affiliation change, etc.), you may use a voter registration application, or for changes other than party affiliation, you may use same-day registration at a one-stop early voting site to provide an update to your record. You may not change your party affiliation at a one-stop site.

How will I know the change has been made to my record?

Once you have completed and mailed your changes to your local board of elections, allow two weeks for delivery of your voter registration card. Read the information thoroughly and note any changes or mistakes on the card. A voter registration card is for your use only; you do not need the card in order to vote. You can also check your information on the voter lookup tool at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/

Voter Registration Deadline

The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is 25 days before the election. The county board of elections must receive your application by this date. If an application is received after the deadline, it will still be timely if it is postmarked on or before the voter registration deadline. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election.

If you register at the DMV or another voter registration agency, your application will be deemed timely if it is received by the agency by 25 days before the election.

Same-Day Registration

If you are not registered in a county, you may register to vote during the one-stop early voting period. This process is called “Same-Day Registration.”

Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility to vote and must provide proof of residence. A voter attests to their eligibility by completing a voter registration application and signing it under penalty of a Class I felony, and must present one of the following documents showing the voter’s current name and current address:

• North Carolina driver’s license;

• Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo identification card is acceptable, as long as the card includes the registrant’s current name and address. Such cards may be expired, but the name and address must be current.

• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s current name and address issued within 3 months of the date it is presented; OR

• A current college/university photo identification card paired with either (1) any document originating with the educational institution and containing the student’s name and on-campus housing address or facility name; or (2) a current roster prepared by the college/university and transmitted to the county board of elections office, which lists all students residing in campus housing facilities.

A student residing in a campus housing facility may prove his residency by presenting, in either hardcopy or electronic format, any document originating with the educational institution and containing the student’s name and on-campus housing address or facility name (e.g., “Jones Hall”). Acceptable documents may be issued by either public or private educational institutions and include correspondence, invoice, transcript, or a print-out or screen shot from any official registration or housing portal displaying the student’s name and on-campus housing address. Alternatively, the educational institution may voluntarily provide elections officials with a list of all students residing in a particular campus housing facility, which may be referenced in conjunction with a valid student photo identification card presented by the registrant. Any such list must be current at the time of use and must display individual facility information for each on-campus resident to ensure the student is properly registered at the appropriate address. Lists may not be used if they do not differentiate between residents at different campus housing facilities. Educational institutions may omit the names of individuals known to be ineligible based on citizenship status (e.g., exchange students holding student visas). The roster may be used as proof of a student’s on-campus residency only if the registrant presents a valid student photo identification card showing the student’s current name as it appears on the registration roster.

Within two business days of the person’s registration, the county board of elections will verify the registrant’s driver’s license or Social Security number, update the voter registration database, search for possible duplicate registrations, and proceed to verify the registrant’s address by mail. The registrant’s vote will be counted unless the county board of elections determines that he or she is not qualified to vote.

For general information please visit: www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Registering-to-Vote.