Vote By Mail

You may not request an absentee ballot with an expired form.

Overview

Find details on this page about absentee-by-mail voting options for civilian, military and overseas, or blind and visually impaired voters. Visit the vote-by-mail FAQ and detailed instructions to vote by mail pages in this section to learn more.

Absentee-By-Mail Voting in the July 26 Elections: Municipals and Local Second Primaries

Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive, and vote a mail-in absentee ballot. No special circumstance or reason is needed. Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form. There are two ways to access and submit the form:

Online with “Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot” at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
On paper with the English N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (fillable PDF) or the English N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (non-fillable print-only PDF) or the Spanish N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (fillable PDF).

Track your absentee-by-mail ballot through the mail: Once you have requested your absentee ballot, you can track its status from printed to accepted by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax.

Dates and Deadlines

The civilian voter registration deadline is 25 days before Election Day.* Find out how to register or how to update your registration.

Absentee-By-Mail Date or Deadline
June 26, 2022: The date by which the boards of elections must make available absentee ballots for municipal contests. For any non-municipal second primaries, absentee ballots will be sent to requestors as soon as they are available.
July 1, 2022: Civilian voter registration deadline. After this point, only same-day registration during one-stop early voting is available.
July 19, 2022: Deadline for civilians to submit an absentee ballot request form.
July 26, 2022: Election Day and civilian absentee ballot return deadline.

*If an election requires a second primary, voter registration is not generally allowed between the first and second primary. However, in 2022 only, Session Law 2022-06 allows voter registration between the primary and second primary. However, existing voters may not change their party affiliation between the first and second primaries.

For an overview of the 2022 statewide primary, visit Upcoming Election.

Military and Overseas Voting

The federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) allows certain voters an expedited means to register and vote by mail-in ballot. Find more information at Military and Overseas Voting.

Accessible Absentee Voting

If you are a blind or visually impaired voter in North Carolina, you can request, mark, and return an accessible absentee ballot online through a system that is compatible with screen readers and that allows for a digital or typed signature. Learn more at Accessible Absentee Voting.

If you live at a facility such as a hospital, clinic, or nursing home, find details about receiving assistance with mail-in voting and other services provided by a multipartisan assistance team (MAT) at Assistance for Voters in Care Facilities.

Detailed Instructions to Vote By Mail

Voting by mail in North Carolina takes three simple steps — requesting, completing, and returning a ballot. Find more information at Detailed Instructions to Vote By Mail.

FAQ: Voting By Mail

For answers to more absentee-by-mail voting questions, visit FAQ: Voting by Mail.