North Carolina voter registration closes Oct 9 for the November 3, 2026 election. Every deadline — registration, mail ballot and early voting — with the official source for each.
Look up your own ballot and polling place →
Online registration is only for existing NC DMV customers, through the DMV. The application must be received by Friday, October 9, 2026 (25 days before the election). Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by Friday, October 9, 2026. Forms with a missing or unclear postmark count only if received by Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Regular in-person registration (DMV or another voter registration agency) must be received by 5:00 PM Friday, October 9, 2026. After that, register in person at an early voting site Oct 15–31 (see sameDay). Same-day registration is available only at early voting sites in your county during early voting (Thu Oct 15 – 3 PM Sat Oct 31, 2026). You can register and vote right away at that site. It is not available to most voters on Election Day.
In-person early voting starts Thursday, October 15, 2026. In-person early voting ends at 3:00 PM Saturday, October 31, 2026. Statewide 17-day period. Vote at any early voting site in your county; sites and hours are set in each county's early voting plan. Same-day registration is available at early voting sites.
Any registered voter can vote by mail. Your county board of elections must receive your absentee ballot request by 5:00 PM Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Your county board of elections must receive your completed ballot by 7:30 PM on Election Day. There is NO postmark grace period anymore. You can also drop it off at an early voting site in your county during early voting, but not at an Election Day polling place.
We publish a gap rather than a guess. These points were not settled by an official source:
Every date above was read from the North Carolina election office's own published material, last checked Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Confirm anything you are relying on with your local election authority.
https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election
Oct. 9: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.).*
https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/how-register/voter-registration-deadlines
Voter registration applications submitted by mail will be processed before the next primary or general election if they are postmarked on or before the 25th day before that primary or election.
https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-early-person
Although same-day registration is available for voters during early voting, same-day registration is not available for most voters on Election Day.
https://www.ncsbe.gov/news/press-releases/2026/09/02/voting-2026-general-election-begins-week-nc
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 .
https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail/detailed-instructions-vote-mail
Your ballot must be received by your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Note: State law previously provided for a grace period if your ballot was postmarked on or before Election Day and received within three days after the election. That is no longer the case.