How to Get and Use an Absentee Ballot

How to Obtain an Absentee Ballot

• Eligibility: Any registered voter in North Carolina is permitted to request, receive, and vote using a mail-in absentee ballot, and no special reason or excuse is required.
  
  
• Request Methods:Voters must use an official NC Absentee Ballot Request Form, which can be accessed and submitted online via the NC Absentee Ballot Portal. Alternatively, voters can complete a paper version of the form (available as a fillable PDF).
  
  
• Submission of Paper Forms: If using the paper request form, it can be submitted to the local county board of elections in person, or it can be mailed using the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx, or UPS.
  
  
• Who Can Submit the Request: The request form must be completed and signed by the voter, a near relative, or a verifiable legal guardian. If a voter requires assistance due to a disability, they are exempt from this restriction and may ask anyone to request a ballot on their behalf.
  
  
• Deadline: The county board of elections must receive the completed absentee ballot request form by 5:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday prior to Election Day.

Options for Delivering the Voted Ballot

• By Mail or Courier: Voters can return their sealed ballot envelope through the mail via the U.S. Postal Service, ensuring the correct postage is applied. Ballots may also be sent using commercial courier services like DHL, FedEx, or UPS.
  
  
• In Person at the Board of Elections: Ballots can be hand-delivered directly to the voter's local county board of elections office.
  
  
• In Person at an Early Voting Site: Voters may hand-deliver their absentee ballot to any open early voting site within their county during the in-person early voting period.
  
  
• Election Day Restrictions: It is not permitted to drop off an absentee ballot at an ordinary polling place on Election Day.
  
  
• Who Can Return the Ballot: By law, only the voter, a near relative, or a legal guardian is allowed to mail or hand-deliver the ballot. However, if the voter requires assistance returning the ballot due to a disability, these restrictions do not apply, and they may ask any person to return it for them.
  
  
• Return Deadline: Regardless of the delivery method chosen, the returned ballot must be physically received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. State law no longer offers a grace period for ballots postmarked on Election Day but received afterward.

Important Completion Requirements

• Witness Signatures: The voter must mark their ballot in the presence of either two witnesses or one notary public. Those individuals must then complete and sign the certification portion on the return envelope.
  
  
• Photo ID: Voters utilizing mail-in voting must include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID inside the clear sleeve on the back of their ballot envelope. If the voter cannot provide a photo ID copy, they must complete and enclose a Photo ID Exception Form instead.

How to Obtain your Absentee Ballot

To get to the absentee ballot portal, go to https://www.ncsbe.gov/ and click on Voting, then Help for Voters with Disabilities and then on the right side, click Accessible Absentee Voting and click on the link that says NC Absentee Ballot Portal. From there you have four options to click on:

• Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot: All registered North Carolina Voters may use this option to request an absentee by mail ballot. Your request is sent to your county board of elections office and when ballots are available for the election, they will mail your ballot to the address you have provided. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 PM the second Tuesday before Election Day. Visually impaired voters who would like to request an accessible ballot will also use Option 1 to submit their request.
  
  
• Option 2 - Access Military/Overseas Voter Services: If you are active military, the spouse or dependent of an active military service member or you are a US citizen outside the United States, you may use this option to request your absentee ballot. The deadline for a military/overseas voter to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 PM the day before Election Day.
  
  
• Option 3 – Accessible Ballot: If you are a visually impaired voter who has requested an accessible ballot and have been informed that your ballot is available, select this option to access your ballot. If you would like to learn more about how this option works before you access your ballot, you may click here to practice with a demo ballot. The deadline to complete and return your absentee by mail ballot in the portal is 7:30 PM on Election Day.If you are blind or visually impaired and need assistance with the absentee portal, contact Test Person, ADA Coordinator, at ADACoordinator@ncsbe.gov, (919) 814-0705, 6400 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6400.
  
  
• Option 4 - Sample Ballot: Any voter may use this option to view the contests and candidates specific to their eligible ballot. You may also mark and download a sample ballot. This is only a sample and is not your official ballot.