Absentee voting allows registered voters to vote on a day other than Election Day. There are three types of absentee voting in North Carolina. Click the links below for more information.
Any registered North Carolina voter can request a mail-in absentee ballot. This type of absentee voting allows a voter or a near relative or legal guardian to request that an absentee ballot be sent to the voter by mail. The voter may vote the ballot and return it to the county board of elections by the ballot return deadline.
Absent uniformed services members (and their eligible dependents) and U.S. citizens living outside of the United States may request an absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This federal act and its corresponding law in this state allows uniformed service members and overseas citizens who are absent from their county of residence in North Carolina to request, receive and return an absentee ballot under special rights.
One-stop absentee voting (in-person absentee voting, or early voting) allows registered voters to go in person to their county board of elections office (or an alternative location) to vote an absentee ballot. One-stop absentee voting is conducted starting on the Third Thursday before the election and ends at 1:00 p.m. on the last Saturday before the election.