How to vote · 2026
North Carolina
Any voter can request a mail ballot
Every date below comes from the North Carolina election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineOctober 9, 2026Regular registration (online via DMV, in person, or postmarked mail) by 5 p.m. Oct. 9, 2026 (25 days before). Same-day registration available during early voting Oct. 15-31.
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 20, 2026
Mail ballots first sentSeptember 4, 2026First state to send ballots: county boards must begin distributing absentee ballots 60 days before the general election, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 (G.S. 163-227.10), to voters with requests on file (including military/overseas). Requests due 5 p.m. Oct. 20 (two Tuesdays before). Return postage costs $1.98 in 2026.
Return ruleMust be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day
Early in-person votingOctober 15, 2026through October 31, 2026 · In-person early voting (one-stop) Oct. 15-31, 2026, ending 3 p.m. on the final Saturday; sites vary by county.
Official NC election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 5, 2026.Sources: [1] NCSBE official 2026 general election dates: ballots distributed from Sept. 4; registration Oct. 9; request deadline Oct. 20; early voting Oct. 15-31; return 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3[2] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[3] Mail voting Sept. 4-Nov. 3, 2026[4] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[5] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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