Deadline is here to request an absentee ballot in North Carolina

Tuesday is the final day to request an absentee ballot if you plan to vote by mail in North Carolina.

Posted 10:15 a.m. Oct 7, 2020 — Updated 9:51 a.m. Oct 27, 2020

Jessica Patrick

, WRAL multiplatform producer

RALEIGH, N.C. — Tuesday is the final day to request an absentee ballot if you plan to vote by mail in North Carolina. It's also the recommended deadline for mailing in your ballot.

Registered voters have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to request a mail-in ballot online or at your county's Board of Elections office. Once you get your absentee ballot, fill it out and mail it as soon as possible.

Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3, Election Day, if they are to be counted.

When is your mail-in ballot actually counted? That depends, officials say

You can check your voter registration status on the State Board of Elections website. If you’re not registered to vote, you can do so at any early voting site in your county until Oct. 31.

More than 1.4 million absentee ballots have already been requested in North Carolina.

2020 NC voter guide, candidate profiles

WRAL's online voter guide provide information about the candidates who will appear on your ballot, as well as details about how to cast an absentee ballot and when and where to vote in person early or on Election Day.

There are several important dates to know:

If you plan to vote by mail or in-person on Election Day, Nov. 3, you must already be registered. Check your registration status online.
If you plan on voting early, Oct. 15-31, you can register and vote on the same day at any early voting site in your county.
If you plan to vote by mail, request your absentee ballot by 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 and fill it out carefully before sending it in. Ballots will take several days to be counted.
Less than 1% of absentee ballots are not counted, and most of those are due to voter error. The State Board of Elections has a tool to track the status of your mailed ballot.

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