Vote in Person on Election Day

Overview of Election Day Voting

On this day, registered voters in North Carolina may vote at their assigned polling place. This is different than early voting, where eligible individuals may cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county.

Polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Any voter in line at their assigned polling place at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. The busiest times tend to be early in the morning and just before the polls close. Avoid longer lines by voting at off-peak times.

Unsure if you are registered? Find out if you are registered to vote by entering your information into the Voter Search.

2021 Election Day Dates and Deadlines

The voter registration deadline is 25 days before Election Day. Find out how to register.

For an overview of the 2021 municipal elections, visit Upcoming Election.

Your Election Day Polling Place

Enter your information into the Voter Search, or search using your address with the Polling Place Search. 

The State Board asks that all voters respect the right of others to participate in the election. Intimidating any voter is a crime. Voters who feel harassed or intimidated should notify an election official immediately.

Your Sample Ballot

Sample ballots are now available to voters that have a November 2021 municipal election.

There are about 2,000 different ballot styles across the state. To view sample ballots, registered voters must enter their information into the Voter Search and navigate to “Your Sample Ballot.” Voters can practice making their selections with the accessible sample ballot: “Option 4” at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.

Note: Sample ballots for each election are only available once finalized.

COVID-19 Safeguards

Your elections officials have been hard at work creating and implementing plans to minimize viral spread at voting locations. View safety precautions and guidelines for in-person voting, and find answers to frequently asked questions at Voting and Coronavirus.

Voting Equipment

To see what your county uses for one-stop early voting, go to the Voting Equipment page, and see the map for “Election Day Voting Equipment, by County.”

Voter Assistance and Curbside Voting

Any voter who qualifies for assistance may ask for help at their polling place. N.C.G.S. § 163-166.8. To find more information, visit Help for Voters with Disabilities. Curbside voting is available for eligible individuals. For more information, see Curbside Voting.

After You Vote

Note that when you inserted your ballot into a tabulator, your selections were recorded on a media card in the tabulator. These results were counted and reported publicly on election night. For further confirmation that your ballot was counted, use the Voter Search. 

Your ballot status will show up in your “Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer after the election.

Please be assured that your county board of elections will complete this process as promptly as possible amid the other post-election tasks that must be completed, including post-election audits and certification of the results.

For answers to more Election Day voting questions, visit FAQ: Election Day Voting in 2021.