Voter Registration Deadlines

Overview

Find details about the regular voter registration deadline before an election and an option for eligible voters after the regular deadline.

Before an Election

The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is 25 days before an election. The county board of elections must receive your application by this date. If a North Carolina Voter Registration Application (Spanish version) application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if it is postmarked on or before the voter registration deadline. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election.

If you register in person or online through the DMV or another voter registration agency, your application will be timely if it is received by that agency at least 25 days before the election. If an election requires a second primary, voter registration is not allowed between the first and second primary.

If you are a military or overseas voter, the voter registration deadline is 5 p.m. on the day before the election. For more information, visit our Military and Overseas Voting page.

After the Regular Deadline

After the regular voter registration deadline, eligible voters may register to vote and vote on the same day during the one-stop early voting period. This process is called “same-day registration.” To learn more, please visit Register in Person During Early Voting.