When’s the last day to register to vote in the presidential election? Check NC deadlines

Editor’s note : This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org .

North Carolina residents will be able to head to the polls in November to vote for a number of local, state and federal offices, including the president .

To do that, they must be registered to vote ahead of time . (Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Use North Carolina’s Voter Search at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup .)

Here’s what to know about registering to vote in North Carolina.

What are the voter registration deadlines in NC?

Anyone who plans to vote in the Nov. 5 general election must be registered by 5 p.m. Oct. 11 — that’s 25 days before the election.

However, there is an exception for military and overseas civilians . The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act allows certain voters until 5 p.m. on the day before Election Day to register.

Can you register to vote on Election Day?

Most people are not allowed to register to vote on Election Day.

But there are a couple of notable exceptions:

▪ If you become a naturalized U.S. citizen after the regular voter registration deadline, you can register and vote during early voting or on Election Day.

▪ If your rights of citizenship are restored after serving a felony sentence after the registration deadline, you can also register and vote during early voting or on Nov. 5.

Important dates for mail-in voter registration

If you are mailing in a voter registration application, you must postmark the completed application by the registration deadline .

The county board of elections must receive the application no later than Oct. 16, which is 20 days before the election.

Important dates for registering to vote online

North Carolina residents who have a DMV-issued driver’s license or ID can register to vote or edit their registration (such as updating your address or party affiliation) online.

You can submit an online application for free through NCDMV’s website . Applications for voter registration must be completed online by 5 p.m. Oct. 11.

Once the application is completed, it is sent to the N.C. State Board of Elections.

What if you miss the civilian voter registration deadline?

If you miss the Oct. 11 deadline, it may be possible to register to vote in person during early voting , which runs Oct. 17-Nov. 2. Find an early voting site at vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite .

You are eligible to register in person if you are not registered to vote in the county where you have lived for at least 30 days before Election Day. But you will need proof of residence , a document that shows your current address. This can include:

• North Carolina driver’s license
  
  
• Government-issued photo identification, as long as it shows the voter’s current name and address
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the voter’s name and address

Students living on campus may show a document from a school with the student’s name and on-campus housing address. The educational institution may also provide the county board of elections a list of students living in particular campus housing, which will work if a student living in campus housing shows a valid student ID.

If you register in person, you may vote immediately afterward at the same site. Just make sure to have photo identification (a driver’s license will suffice).

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