Regular Voter Registration Deadline is October 9th for 2026 General Election

Raleigh, N.C. — Eligible individuals who want to cast their ballot by mail or on Election Day, Nov. 3, must register to vote by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9.

Individuals who miss the deadline may register and vote during the early voting period at any early voting site in their county. These “same-day registrants” must attest to their eligibility, including U.S. citizenship, provide proof of where they live, and show an acceptable form of photo ID. The early voting period begins Oct. 15 and ends Oct. 31.

For more information, see Register in Person During Early Voting.

The regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election. Deadlines are different for military and overseas voters.

Many important, elected offices are on the ballot in the 2026 midterm general election. These include: one U.S. Senate seat, 14 U.S. House seats, one NC Supreme Court and three NC Court of Appeals seats, and all NC General Assembly seats, among others. For more information, see Upcoming Election.

“There’s still time to register to vote in the midterm elections,” said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “And eligible individuals who miss this deadline to vote on Election Day can still register and vote during the early voting period.”

How to Register

To register, eligible individuals have the following options:

• Individuals with a North Carolina driver’s license or NCDMV identification card may submit a voter registration application online. Learn more at Complete Your Registration Online Through the DMV. Eligible individuals may also register in person at NCDMV offices.
• Any eligible resident can complete a Voter Registration Application on paper and return it to their county board of elections by 5 p.m. Oct. 9. The application must be received by the county board of elections or postmarked by Oct. 9.
• Eligible individuals may also register when applying for services at certain state agencies. Learn more at National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The United States Postal Service recently clarified that postmarks are applied when the mail is processed at a processing facility, and this may not necessarily match the date on which the mail was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a post office. If an individual is mailing a voter registration form close to or on the deadline, they can ensure the postmark is applied the day they put their form in the mail. To do so, the individual should follow the USPS recommendation to request a manual postmark at the retail counter at the post office when dropping off their mail.

North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day unless they become a U.S. citizen or have their rights restored following a felony conviction after the registration deadline.

Requirements for Registering

To register to vote, a person:

• Must be a U.S. citizen;
• Will have lived at the North Carolina residence where they are registered for 30 days before Election Day;
• Must be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election; and
• Must not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole.

For more information on registering to vote in North Carolina, see Registering.

For information on voting as a college student, see Registering as a College Student.

To check your voter registration information at any time and view your sample ballot, use the Voter Search tool.