The registered voters In North Carolina, you can request a mail-in ballot for the 2026 general election.
How do I request a ticket?
The ballot request can be made online, through the North Carolina State Board of Elections portal.
You can also complete the official application form on paper. The form must be delivered in person to the appropriate county board of elections or mailed via the United States Postal Service (USPS), DHL, FedEx, or UPS.
Paper applications cannot be sent by email or fax.
When should it be requested?
For the 2026 general election, county election boards will begin sending out requested ballots on September 4.
The deadline for the county board of elections to receive a request for a mail-in ballot is October 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm
Requesting it in advance allows more time to receive it, complete it, and return it within the established deadline.
Related: Mail-in voting in North Carolina: key dates for the 2026 election
What is needed to complete the ballot?
Once received, the instructions included with the election materials must be followed.
The ballot must be completed in the presence of two witnesses or a notary public. The witnesses must observe the person marking the ballot, but not how they vote.
The two witnesses must sign the return envelope. Instead of the two witnesses, the voter may use a notary public.
A photocopy of a valid photo ID must also be placed in the space provided on the ballot envelope. If the voter cannot provide a copy of a photo ID, they may complete the ID Exception Form included in the election materials, if applicable.
Related: What documents do you need to vote early in North Carolina?
How is the ballot returned?
The completed ballot can be mailed, sent via a commercial courier service such as DHL, FedEx or UPS, or delivered in person to the county board of elections office.
It can also be delivered in person at a county early voting center while that period is open.
The completed ballot must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 pm on November 3, 2026, the day of the general election.
This means that simply mailing your ballot on election day is not enough. The county board of elections must receive it before the deadline.
Mail-in ballots cannot be dropped off at a regular polling place on election day.
Requesting a mail-in ballot does not obligate you to use it. If the ballot has not been returned, the voter may choose to vote in person.
All about the 2026 elections
Find in Enlace Latino NC Information about candidates, proposals, dates, and what's at stake in the North Carolina elections to learn about and better understand the electoral process.
Official resources for voting by mail
Request your vote-by-mail ballot online
Official information about voting by mail in North Carolina
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