Election 2024: What to know about polling locations in North Carolina
North Carolina's primary election is approaching quickly. If you are voting in-person on Election Day Tuesday, March 5, here is how to navigate the polls.
How do I find my polling location?
Each voter, depending on their place of residence, is assigned a polling location to vote at. To find your polling location, search using the Election Day Polling Place Search on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
What do I bring to the polls?
To cast a vote, you must bring an acceptable photo ID. A North Carolina driver's license will suffice, but there are also more than five other acceptable IDs. For example, a Tribal enrollment card with photo, a military or veterans ID with photo and an approved college photo ID can all be used on Election Day. For the full list, visit the Voter ID section on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
Don't have a photo ID? County board of elections are issuing free photo ID cards. Visit your county board of election office to get yours.
Voters are also permitted to bring a sample ballot or any notes into the polls. Phones can be used to look up candidate information, but taking photos of a ballot or electronically corresponding, like texting or making a call, while voting is never allowed.
When do polls open and close?
On Election Day, the polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you are in line by 7:30 p.m., you will be able to vote.
Can I vote early elsewhere?
Yes! Won't be in town on Election Day, need some flexibility or prefer shorter lines at the polls, you can vote early in-person between Thursday, Feb. 15 and Saturday, March 2. Note that in-person early voting locations are different from Election Day polling locations. Find an early voting poll near you on the NCSBE website.
Your guide to voting early: Election 2024: What to know about early voting in North Carolina
What happens if there are issues casting my ballot?
A few issues could arise for voters on Election Day. Some common ones include not bringing a an acceptable photo ID, voter registration cannot be found, records show person has already voted or the voter has an unreported move. If any of these problems arise, voters will find individual guidance from the polling Help Station. Voters will not be turned away, rather they will fill out a provisional ballot that will get reviewed for voter eligibility. For more information on provisional voting, visit the NCSBE website.
Once a voter has returned their provisional ballot, the Help Station will give them a Provisional Identification Number (PIN) which they can use to track the status of a ballot. To check the status using the PIN, use the NCSBE's provisional search tool online.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How to find your polling location in North Carolina for the 2024 election
