Early voting starts Thursday in North Carolina
Early voting begins today in North Carolina’s midterm elections, with a U.S. Senate seat and congressional seats on the ballot that could shift the balance of power in the halls of Congress.
Control of the North Carolina General Assembly, and with it power over tax rates, education spending and abortion regulations - just to name a few issues - is on the ballot as well, with all 170 legislative seats up for election. There are also elections for local boards of education, sheriff, county commissions, judges and district attorneys.
Early voting lasts 17 days in North Carolina, wrapping up at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. That’s the Saturday before election day. You can look up early voting locations online with the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Check voter registration
Anyone who is unsure if they are registered to vote can search for their names on the State Board of Elections website.
Early-voting sites and same-day registration
Registered voters or eligible people in North Carolina may cast an absentee ballot in person during this time, which is sometimes called “one-stop early voting.”
During early voting, voters may cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county. Also, would-be voters may same-day register and vote. Anyone who needs to register to vote during the early-voting period must provide at least one of the following documents:
- A North Carolina driver’s license
- Other government photo ID
- A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing name and address.
- A current college or university photo ID paired with proof of campus habitation.
The early-voting period is also different than election day, where registered voters must vote at their assigned polling place.
Anyone wanting to vote on election day cannot register to vote on-site.
Where do I vote on election day?
Polling places are based on a registered voter’s home address and should be listed on the person’s voter registration card. You can also look it up online.
NC Voter Guide 2022
WRAL News also launched its NC Voter Guide 2022, a resource for North Carolina voters ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.
Users can enter a home address to view profiles of each candidate who will appear on their ballots. Voters will also be able to compare candidates’ responses before casting their votes.
WRAL sent questionnaires to hundreds of candidates in some of the state’s highest-profile contests, including those running for all of the state legislative seats, two state Supreme Court seats, 14 congressional seats and the closely watched race for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat. WRAL also sought responses from candidates hoping to fill key seats in Wake County, the biggest county in our viewing area and one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation.
