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A photo ID is now required to vote in NC, but there are exceptions.
Find more information here.
Voting questions? Call the non-partisan voter information hotline at 888-OUR-VOTE.

Need to register to vote or update your registration?

Register to Vote Online

If you have a state-issued ID or driver's license, you can register or update your registration through the NC DMV website. See below if you need help with this process.
Register to vote

Register to Vote via Paper Form

If you DO NOT have an NC license or ID card or wish to make a name change, complete and return the paper registration application to your county board of election office.
Download Registration Application

Deadline to Register

To vote in an upcoming election, you must submit your voter registration at least 25 days before Election Day. If that deadline has passed, you can still use Same-Day Registration during Early Voting in order to register and vote in that election.  See below for more information about Same-Day Registration.

Check Your Registration

Use this Voter Lookup Tool to see if you are registered at your current address.
Look up my Registration

Instructions to Register to Vote

Option 1: Register Online

Online Voter Registration is available now through the NC DMV website to any eligible voter with a North Carolina driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card.

To register online, follow these five steps:
  1. Step One: Visit payments.ncdot.gov
  2. Step Two:  Select the "Continue to myNCDMV Services" button on left.
  3. Step Three: Select the last option to "Continue as Guest" (you do not need to create an account).
  4. Step Four: Click "Submit a Voter Registration Application."
  5. Step Five: Enter the requested information and hit submit.
    • Enter your North Carolina Driver’s License or DMV-issued ID Card number, Social Security number (SSN), and date of birth.
    • You can register to vote, update your address, or change party affiliation. Updated information ONLY applies to your voter registration, not your ID — meaning you can register to vote at your current residence and it does not need to match the address on your current ID.

NOTE! The online platform does not allow users to make a name change.

Option 2: Register with a Paper Form

  1. Step One: Obtain a Voter Registration Form by downloading it here in English or ESPANŌL or visit your County Board of Elections during regular business hours to obtain one.
  2. Step Two: Complete the form and review it carefully. Be sure to:
    • Sign and date it.
    • Fill in all the questions and check all the appropriate boxes.
    • Include your date of birth.
    • Include a phone number on the form; it’s used by election officials to call you for missing information.
    • Spell out your name as it appears on the identity document whose number you provide in Section 3.
    • IMPORTANT: You are now required to enter your NC driver’s license number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, or check the box stating you do not have one. If you don't complete one of these three, your registration cannot be processed. If you check this box, you must bring a document to verify your name and address the first time you vote after registering (utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document).
  3. Step Three: Submit the form in person (during regular business hours) or by mail to your County Board of Elections at least 25 days before the election you want to vote in.

REMEMBER! You must submit the form at least 25 days before the election you want to vote in. If you don’t make this deadline, you should use Same-Day Registration during Early Voting (see below).

If You Miss the Deadline

Same-Day Registration During Early Voting

If you miss the regular deadline to register to vote (25 days before Election Day), you can register to vote during Early Voting at any Early Voting site (but NOT on Election Day).

Early Voting

Find dates, hours of operation, and locations.
Learn More
Wmoan holding a I Voted Eary sticker.

To use Same-Day Registration, you must provide ONE of the following documents (as a hard copy or in electronic format such as a screenshot on your cellphone) to an election official at an Early Voting location to verify your name and address:

  • NC driver’s license or identity card from NC DMV
  • Other photo ID issued by a government agency as long as it includes the voter's current name and address
  • Current utility bill (electric, phone, cable, water, etc.), bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document with the voter’s name and current address issued within the last 6 months.
  • Students can show any document from their college or university that contains the student’s name and residential address (i.e., invoice, transcript, correspondence) issued within the last 6 months.
  • A current document issued from the institution that issued the photo ID that the voter uses to satisfy the voter photo ID requirement.

See a full list here.

REMEMBER! If you are updating your voter registration using same-day registration during early voting for the Primary Election, you cannot change your party affiliation.

Other Questions?

For the latest on where or how to vote OR if you have trouble voting, call the non-partisan voter assistance hotline at 888-OUR-VOTE.
888-OUR-VOTE