10 Tips for Election Day Voters in 2020

The State Board offers the following tips for Election Day voters:

1. On Election Day, polls across North Carolina are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. Lines tend to be longer before and after normal business hours.
2. Find your Election Day polling place through the Voter Search or the Polling Place Search.
3. Sample ballots are available through the Voter Search tool. Information about N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals candidates is available in the 2020 Judicial Voter Guide.
4. To protect voters and election workers, masks and hand sanitizer will be available to all voters. Social distancing will be enforced at voting sites. Read more at the Voting and Coronavirus page.
5. If you are voting by mail and have not returned your ballot, you may not return your ballot to a polling site on Election Day. You may mail your ballot back or return your ballot sealed inside the completed envelope to your county board of elections by 5 p.m. on Election Day. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day. Mailed ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day must be received by November 12. If you mail your ballot on or before Election Day, you may not vote again in person.
6. Same-day registration is not available on Election Day. If you are not registered to vote by Election Day, you will be unable to vote in the general election.
7. Voters are not required to show photo ID to vote in the 2020 general election.
8. Voters who need assistance at the polls must request that assistance. Curbside voting is available for voters who are unable to enter the voting place without assistance due to age or disability. Once inside the polling place, voters who experience difficulties should request help from an election worker. For more information, see the Help for Voters with Disabilities page.
9. 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.
10. If you present to vote and your name is not on the voter list, you may request a provisional ballot. About 10 days after an election, voters who cast a provisional ballot can check the status of their ballot with the Provisional Search tool.