How do I register to vote in North Carolina?

North Carolina offers online registration through a partnership with the Division of Motor Vehicles. The online tool is available only to existing DMV customers who have a DMV-issued driver's license or ID. The service is free. You can also download a paper application and mail it, or register in person at your county board of elections.

If you need to update your address or change your party affiliation, you can do that online as well. You cannot change your name through the online tool.

The standard registration deadline is 25 days before Election Day. For the 2026 general election, that means you must register by Friday, October 9, 2026.

If you miss that deadline, you can still register in person during early voting. Early voting runs from Thursday, October 15 until 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Military and overseas voters have an extended deadline of 5 p.m. on the day before the election under federal law.

To register, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the county where you are registering, and 18 years old by Election Day. If you are 16 or 17, you may pre-register and your registration will automatically activate when you turn 18. A 17-year-old who will be 18 by the general election may vote in that year's primary.

A person convicted of a felony automatically regains the right to vote once the period of supervision is complete. That means once any prison or jail time, probation, parole, and post-release supervision are over. Unpaid fines, fees, or restitution do not bar restoration.

You must register or re-register before you can vote, even if you were registered before the conviction.

Each of North Carolina's 100 counties has a five-member board of elections serving two-year terms. The State Board of Elections appoints four members, two Democrats and two Republicans, and the auditor appoints the chair of each county board.