Early voting starting in Mecklenburg County. See where and when to cast your ballot

Mary Ramsey
·5 min read

Early voting begins Thursday in Mecklenburg County as the first of 19 sites opens to voters ahead of November’s general election.

Races are on the ballot across the county include a multi-billion dollar school bond and seats on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board. Charlotte voters will also elect a mayor and City Council members. Voters in Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville will also pick mayors and town board members.

The $2.5 billion bond referendum is intended to fund up to 30 new schools across the county, but support for it hasn’t been unanimous. The most closely watched Charlotte City Council race is the rematch between incumbent Republican Tariq Bokhari and Democrat Stephanie Hand, who lost by less than 400 votes in her 2022 bid to represent south Charlotte’s District 6.

The county’s first early voting site is the Hal Marshall Annex, 618 N. College St., and it will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and Monday through Wednesday.

On Oct. 26, 18 additional sites will open alongside the Hal Marshall site:

  • Allegra Westbrooks Library - 2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte

  • Former Rite Aid - 15221 John J. Delaney Drive, Charlotte

  • Cornelius Town Hall - 21445 Catawba Ave., Cornelius

  • Davidson Town Hall and Community Center - 251 South St, Davidson

  • Eastway Recreation Center - 3150 Eastway Park Dr., Charlotte

  • Hornet’s Nest Park - 6301 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte

  • Independence Library - 6000 Conference Dr., Charlotte

  • Marion Diehl Recreation Center - 2219 Tyvola Road, Charlotte

  • Matthews Library - 230 Matthews Station St., Matthews

  • Mint Hill Library - 6840 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill

  • North County Library - 16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville

  • Pineville Library - 505 Main St., Pineville

  • South County Library - 5801 Rea Road, Charlotte

  • SouthPark Library - 7015 Carnegie Blvd., Charlotte

  • Steele Creek Martial Arts - 10720 South Tryon St., Charlotte NC

  • Former Kohl’s - 9315 N. Tryon St., Charlotte

  • Overstreet Mall - 101 S, Tryon St., Suite 10, Charlotte

  • West Boulevard Library - 2157 West Blvd., Charlotte

All 19 sites will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct 26 through Nov 3. And every site will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29.

Early voting will end at 3 p.m. Nov. 4.

It’s a popular way to cast ballots — with a majority of Mecklenburg voters who cast a ballot in the 2022 general election choosing to do so during early voting. More than 8,300 Charlotteans voted via in-person early voting in the September City Council primary, a primary cycle that saw near record-low turnout.

During early voting, Charlotte residents can choose any location in the county to cast a ballot. On Election Day, people must vote at their assigned precinct. Check your voter registration and see your precinct at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.

November election dates and deadlines

The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 7 election was Oct. 13, but same-day voter registration is available during early voting.

To register at an early voting site, you’ll need to fill out the North Carolina voter registration application and provide proof of residency. Acceptable documentation proving your name and address includes:

  • A North Carolina driver’s license

  • Other photo ID issued by a government agency, if it includes your current name and address

  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing the voter’s name and address

College students can prove residency using “a document from an educational institution with the student’s name and on-campus housing address.” Colleges and universities can also “provide the county board of elections a list of students residing in particular campus housing, which will suffice if a student living in campus housing shows a valid student photo identification card,” the State Board of Elections says.

Most voters are not eligible for same-day registration on Election Day.

New voter ID requirement

In the wake of an April ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court, voters also need to show photo identification to cast a ballot in 2023. Acceptable IDs include:

  • A North Carolina driver’s license

  • A state ID issued by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles

  • A U.S. passport or U.S. passport card

  • A driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, the District of Columbia or U.S. territories, if the “voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election”

For the full list of acceptable IDs, visit ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id#acceptable.

Voters who don’t have an ID can get a “No Fee ID Card” from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles or a free photo ID from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. To get an ID card from the Board of Elections, calling 704-336-2133, email Vote@MeckNC.gov or visit the board’s office, 741 Kenilworth Ave, Suite 202. The deadline to get a free ID from the Board of Elections for the 2023 election is 3 p.m. Nov. 4.

Voters who can’t show ID will be asked to fill out an ID Exception Form. Absentee-by-mail voters can also fill out an ID Exception Form with their ballot if they’re unable to include a copy of their photo ID in their ballot return envelope.

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