North Carolina's pre-election voting period got underway on Thursday ahead of the November general contest. Voters casting ballots in person had from Thursday, Oct. 15, through 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, to do so during the early voting period.

Voters across North Carolina and South Carolina head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the general election. Throughout the early voting window, any polling location across the county remains open to all eligible participants. Each person casting a ballot on Nov. 3 is directed to do so at the polling location designated for their address.

Qualified voters who wish to cast a ballot without being pre-registered may do so on the spot, though this option is available only within the early voting window. Voters casting ballots on Election Day do not have the option of registering at the polls that same day.

Voters who sign up during the early voting window are required to have been county residents for a minimum of 30 days ahead of Election Day. Voters who have completed registration are required to submit documentation confirming their residential address. A filled-out and signed North Carolina voter registration form is what applicants are required to submit.

Anyone casting a ballot for the first time at an early voting location during that window is required to show documentation confirming their address. To establish residence at a registered address, voters may present any one of several qualifying documents — among them a North Carolina driver's licence, a photo ID card issued by a government body that displays the holder's name and current address, or a recent utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government-issued cheque, or similar official document bearing both the voter's name and their place of residence.

Within the same county, registered voters have the option to make changes to their recorded name or residential address when needed. Voter registration for the North Carolina general election closes no later than 25 days ahead of Election Day, which falls on Nov. 3, 2026. Voter registration in North Carolina closes on Friday, Oct. 9.

North Carolina residents who qualify can register to vote through two pathways: the state's Division of Motor Vehicles portal accepts online applications from current DMV account holders, while in-person registration at a DMV office remains an option as well. Registering to vote through the postal service is an option available in both English and Spanish, with the NC Voter Registration Application offered as a fillable PDF for that purpose.

People who already hold a North Carolina DMV account can make changes to their voter registration details through the state's web-based registration portal. Voters holding an existing registration have the option to modify their listed address or switch their recorded party membership. To bring a voter registration record up to date — whether the change involves a name, a home address, or a party affiliation — either the standard registration application or the change section printed on the existing registration card will serve that purpose. Completed forms bearing a signature are to be forwarded to the relevant county board of elections.

Registration details on file can be confirmed or corrected through the voter search tool at any time. Through the same tool, registered electors can look up their assigned polling location, check their party registration status, request details on absentee voting, and access a range of additional election-related resources.

Registered voters in North Carolina will find the following races and measures on their November ballots: one U.S. Senate seat; 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; one Associate Justice position on the state Supreme Court; three Court of Appeals judgeships; three statewide referenda; all 50 state Senate districts; all 120 state House districts; local judicial and district attorney contests; county-level posts including sheriff, county commissioner, and Board of Education seats; and municipal races in select jurisdictions. Those wishing to preview their specific ballot can do so through the state elections website by entering their first and last name.

Registered voters locating their name through the search tool can select the voter details option, then navigate downward within that profile to reach the sample ballot section. Through "Option 4" on the NC Absentee Ballot Portal, residents can walk through the decision-making process ahead of time and pull down a personal copy of their sample ballot.

Each registered voter in North Carolina has a designated Election Day polling location tied to their residential address. Each voter is directed to cast their ballot at a pre-designated polling place. To locate their assigned polling precinct, residents casting ballots are required to supply their full home address, including city, state, and zip code. Users can filter results by county or by individual precinct.

Key election dates and deadlines for North Carolina voters include Sept. 4, when absentee ballots are dispatched to military and overseas voters; Oct. 9, the voter registration cutoff at 5 p.m.; Oct. 15, when in-person early voting opens alongside same-day registration; Oct. 20, the 5 p.m. deadline to request an absentee ballot; Oct. 31, when in-person early voting closes at 3 p.m.; and Nov. 3, Election Day, by which absentee ballots are to be returned no later than 7:30 p.m. — a day when those heading to the polls will also be asked to present a photo ID upon check-in.

Casting a ballot remains open to every eligible person, whether or not they carry a photo ID. Voters who arrive at the polls without an accepted form of photo ID retain the option of casting a ballot by filling out an ID Exception Form. Those voting by mail have the option of submitting an ID Exception Form alongside their completed ballot.

Nine categories of photo identification are recognized for North Carolina voting purposes, as set out by the North Carolina State Board of Elections. These span state-issued driver's licenses and non-operator ID cards from the NCDMV; out-of-state driver's licenses or non-driver IDs from another state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory when the holder registered to vote in North Carolina within 90 days of the election; a U.S. Passport or Passport card; a voter photo ID card distributed by a county board of elections; a college or university student photo ID carrying State Board of Elections approval; a photo-bearing military or veterans ID card issued by the U.S. government; a tribal enrollment card with photo from a tribe holding recognition by either North Carolina or the federal government; and a photo ID card tied to a public assistance program and issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina.