Special to IFN

RALEIGH — Eligible individuals who want to cast their ballot by mail or on Election Day, November 5, in North Carolina must register to vote by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 11.

Individuals who miss that deadline may register and vote at the same time during the 17-day, in-person early voting period at any early voting site in their county. The early voting period begins October 17 and ends November 2. County-by-county early voting sites and schedules are available at the State Board of Elections’ Early Voting Site Search.

Under state law, the regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election. Deadlines are different for military and overseas voters. Election Day is November 5.

“We encourage all eligible individuals to register and vote for this important election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Registering is easy, and there is still time to register to make your voice heard.”

HOW TO REGISTER

To register, eligible individuals have the following options:

♦ If you have a North Carolina’s driver’s license or other NCDMV identification, you may submit a voter registration application online. Learn more at Complete Your Registration Online Through the DMV.

♦ Eligible individuals may also register in person at DMV offices.

♦ Any eligible resident can complete a Voter Registration Application in English or Spanish on paper and return it to their county board of elections office by 5 p.m. October 11.

♦ Voter registration forms that are placed in the mail by the October 11 deadline will still be processed for this election if they are received by the registrant’s county board of elections with a postmark showing the form was placed in the mail by October 11. If the postmark is missing or unreadable, then the form will be processed only if it is received by Wednesday, October 16.

♦ North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day unless they become eligible after the October 11 registration deadline due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction.

REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTERING

To register to vote, a person:

♦ Must be a U.S. citizen;

♦ Will have lived at the North Carolina residence identified on their registration form for 30 days before Election Day;

♦ Must be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election; and

♦ Must not be currently serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole.

UPDATING YOUR REGISTRATION

Voters who need to update their existing voter registration may use the DMV website or a regular voter registration application.

Those with a North Carolina driver’s license or other DMV identification may update their residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the DMV online service but may not change their name through that service.

If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by October 11. Updates to name, address (if within the county), and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to your county board of elections. If a voter is using the paper form to update their residential address to a new county, they must return the paper form by mail or in person.

Registered voters may also update an existing registration at an early voting site during the early voting period.

For more information on registering to vote in North Carolina, see Registering.

For information on voting as a college student, see Registering as a College Student.