Your last-minute North Carolina election questions

When and how to return your absentee ballot

The deadline to request an absentee ballot was Tuesday, Oct. 29, unless you're registered to vote in one of the counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The U.S. Postal Service also recommended that, if you plan on mailing your ballot, you should've done so by Tuesday to ensure that it arrives at your county board of elections office by the deadline, which is 7:30pm on Election Day.

• You can still put your ballot in the mail today, as USPS says it will continue to deploy "extraordinary measures," but know that it might not make it there in time.
• Alternatively, you can drop your ballot off at an early voting location in your county this weekend, or at your county board of elections office by the Election Day deadline.

If you're registered to vote in an area under the federal disaster declaration for Helene, you can visit your county board to request an absentee ballot, and fill it out there until 5 p.m. Nov. 4.

• You can also hand deliver your ballot to any county board of elections office, any early voting site or the State Board of Elections in Raleigh.

I missed the absentee deadline. What options are left?

In-person early voting ends at 3pm on Saturday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 6:30am to 7:30pm in North Carolina.

I missed the registration deadline. Can I still vote?

Yes, North Carolina offers same-day registration during in-person early voting. Again, though, that ends on Saturday.

The constitutional amendment you're voting on

The constitutional amendment on this year's ballot has confused some voters. Here's what to know:

The state constitution currently says "every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized" can vote.

• If you vote yes: You're voting to amend the North Carolina Constitution to say instead that "only a citizen of the United States" can vote.
• If you vote no: You're voting to keep the constitution as is.

You might have to be patient

We may not know who won some races on election night. Trusted news outlets, like the Associated Press, will make race calls while the election officials count ballots and audit and certify results. But know that no news outlet's results are official. All North Carolina election results will be certified on Nov. 26.

Of note: In 2020, it took 10 days for the Associated Press to call the presidential race in North Carolina because of how close the race was.

• Unofficial results reported by the end of the night will include around 98% of ballots cast, the State Board of Elections said. Officials will count and report early voting ballots, absentee ballots cast before Election Day and Election Day ballots by the end of election night.

• They won't count provisional or military and overseas ballots, absentee ballots cast on Election Day or some absentee ballots cast by voters registered in Helene-impacted counties.

How to confirm your ballot was received

To see if your ballot was accepted, click this link, type in your name, find your name, scroll to the bottom and check "ballot status."

Voting as a new resident

Short answer: If you recently moved to North Carolina and have an out-of-state license, first of all, welcome! Second, you probably can still vote here.

• You have to have lived here for 30 days before Election Day to vote here, however.
• You need to register to vote. If you haven't done that yet, you can still do it during early voting.
• You'll need proof of residence, such as a photo ID from a government agency, or something that includes your name and address, such as a utility bill.

And don't forget, in North Carolina, you need a photo ID to vote! That can be, for instance, a North Carolina driver's license or passport.

What's acceptable to bring into the voting booth

You can bring notes into the voting booth. You can even take your phone — you just can't communicate with anyone on it or take photos or videos.

When will ballots in North Carolina be counted?

When you put your ballot into the tabulator, you can consider it recorded at that point. Nothing will be reported publicly until after polls close on Election Day.