Leadership and Civic Engagement

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Voting Information

Your vote is your voice. Learn how to use it! Keep scrolling to find information about upcoming elections, how to register to vote, different ways to vote, how to request a Voting 101 workshop for your class or student group, and read through our frequently asked questions.

Take The Pledge To Vote!

Upcoming Election Dates

If you are an out of state student planning on voting in your home state – please check your state’s board of elections website for any upcoming elections. If you are a North Carolina voter, or are planning to register as a North Carolina voter, the following information applies to you.

November 8, 2022 – General Election (Midterms)

  • The deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration address is October 14. If you miss this deadline you can still register and vote in person during the early voting period. 
  • The early voting period is October 20 – November 5. You can register or update your registration address, and vote the same day at an early voting site in the county where you live.

Students can register to vote with a local address where they live while attending school or register/remain registered at a permanent address they plan to return to during breaks. Students that are registered out of town will need to make plans to travel to vote or cast an absentee ballot. Read below for more information on your options for voting!

Registering to Vote

Voter registration deadlines: If you miss the voter registration deadline for an election, you can always register and vote during the election’s early voting period by completing an application at an early voting site in your county and showing an election official proof of your residential address in the county.

Check if you’re already registered: Not sure if you’re registered to vote or want to make sure you’re registered at your current address? The North Carolina State Board of Elections public voter search will provide you with information about when you voted, where you’re registered, what your sample ballot will look like (what you’re voting on), what districts you’re in and much more! This is also a great way to make sure your status is active.

North Carolina: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/ Other states: https://www.nass.org/can-i-vote

How & where do I register? Students attending college in North Carolina may register at their school address. You must plan to return after temporary absences, like summer break, but do not have to plan to reside at that address permanently. Students may also choose to register or remain registered at a permanent address in North Carolina or outside the state. In this case, students may need to vote by absentee ballot or travel there to vote if the election occurs while they are physically attending school elsewhere. In North Carolina there are a few options for registering to vote:

  • Online
    • The North Carolina State Board of Elections and DMV now offer certain online voter registration services for EXISTING DMV customers. If you are a DMV customer with a North Carolina license or DMV issued ID you can register to vote, update your voter registration address, or update your party affiliation online. Visit the DMV website to use these services. 
  • In-Person
    • NC voters can register and vote in-person during early voting. Scroll down to the “Early in-person voting” section under “How to Vote” for more information on what you’ll need to bring with you that counts as proof of residency. 
  • Mail-in a Form
    •  Fill out a Voter Registration Form, print, sign, and mail the form to the proper county board of elections office. UNCG students can also pick up a voter registration form in the Office of Leadership & Civic Engagement (EUC 217) when classes are in session.

Registering to Vote With An On-Campus Address: Attention on-campus students ONLY! The sample form below was provided to us by the Guilford County Board of Elections as a sample registration form. It will show you how to correctly fill out your residential address (room number followed by residence hall name) and your mailing address (jdoe2 at UNCG- do not use the @ symbol) on a registration form. Use this format for a paper registration form, which can be found in the Office of Leadership & Civic Engagement in 217 Elliott University Center, or online at the NC State Board of Elections website.  If you have further questions about how a UNCG on-campus student should correctly fill out this form please call the Guilford County Board of Elections directly at 336-641-3836.

UNCG On-Campus Sample Form

Updating your voter registration: Every time you move or change addresses you can update your voter registration. If you are a DMV customer with a North Carolina license or DMV issued ID you can update your voter registration address or update your party affiliation online. Visit the DMV website to use these services. You can also update your voter registration by filling out a new voter registration form. Staff in OLCE can help you or you can go to your county’s Board of Elections Office.

How to Vote

  • On election day – You must have registered to vote by the voter registration deadline 25 days prior to the election to vote on election day. Vote at your assigned voting precinct on election day. For NC voters you can search polling location and hours at: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/.
  • Early in-person voting – Early voting is the period before an election where voters can cast a ballot prior to Election day.  Voters can vote at any designated early voting site in the NC county they are registered in, or live in and would like to register in. For 2022, the early voting period begins April 28th and ends May 14th. However, once the early voting period is passed, eligible voters must vote on election day at their designated polling place. Voters may change their name or address at an early voting site. Persons who are not yet registered in a county may register to vote, and vote, during early voting. This process is called “same-day registration“. If you do choose to register during early voting you will need to fill out voter registration form and provide a valid form of identification. In some cases, you may need to bring proof of residency. Proof of residency can count as any of the following that shows your current name and current (where you are registering) address:
    • North Carolina driver license (with current address)
    • Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, so long as the card bears the voter’s current name and current address.
    • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and current address
    • A student residing in a campus housing facility may prove their residency by presenting, in either hardcopy or electronic format, any document originating with the educational institution and containing the student’s name and on-campus housing address or facility name (e.g., “Jones Hall”). Acceptable documents may be issued by either public or private educational institutions and include correspondence, invoice, transcript, or a print-out or screen shot from any official registration or housing portal displaying the student’s name and on-campus housing address.
  • Absentee voting by mail – Any North Carolina voter who is qualified to vote in an election and registered by the March 28th deadline can request and receive a by-mail absentee ballot for any election. No special circumstance or excuse is needed to receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot. To receive a mail-in absentee ballot for an election, a voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian must use the State Absentee Ballot Request form to request the ballot. The ballot must be returned by 5pm on election day by mail or in-person delivery. You can request a NC absentee ballot online. You must do so by the deadline on May 10th at 5pm. If you are a student at UNCG from another state and are registered there, you may request an absentee ballot from your state that will allow you to vote by mail and not in-person. Please be aware of the deadlines to request and return an absentee ballot. If you request and receive a mail-in ballot and later decide to vote in-person, you may do so, just DO NOT mail in the ballot and vote twice. Check the status of your absentee ballot request or submission using BallotTrax.

Researching your Ballot

Be prepared when you go to vote by knowing what is on your ballot. Your ballot will have offices and candidates based on the address you are registered/registering with. Here are a few nonpartisan resources that can help you figure out what will be on your ballot:

  • NC Voter Search – registered voters can look-up their registration, click on their name, and view their sample ballot. This is your official sample ballot and is the most accurate. 
  • Ballot Ready – if you are not registered (say you plan to register and vote during early voting) and will not be able to view your sample ballot online in the NC voter search tool, you can enter your address in this site and see candidates for races that will be on your ballot.
  • Vote 411 – enter the address where you are registered (or plan to register) to see races on your ballot. You can also view basic candidate information by selecting your options.

Request a Voting 101 Workshop

We know the voting process can be confusing. This is why the Office of Leadership & Civic Engagement is inviting faculty and student groups to sign-up for our interactive Voting 101 Workshop. Trained student voter engagement fellows along with OLCE staff will cover the importance of voting, UNCG voting rates, current voter registration requirements, and how and where voting takes place. Participants will have the opportunity to register to vote during this workshop. All content is non-partisan and friendly to all political ideologies. This program can be tailored to fit a 30-minute or hour-long time block. To schedule a workshop please fill out this form. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Billie at Arbillie(at)uncg.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I’m registered at home?

  • Students attending college in North Carolina may register at their school address. You must plan to return after temporary absences, like summer break, but do not have to plan to reside at that address permanently.
  • Students may choose to register or remain registered at a permanent address in North Carolina or outside the state. In this case, students may need to vote by absentee ballot or travel there to vote.
  • You may only vote in one location.

Do I need a photo ID?

  • No. You do not need to show your ID to vote. A North Carolina superior court has permanently enjoined the law requiring photo ID for voting. Following a trial in April 2021, a three-judge panel in the Holmes v. Moore case concluded that the voter photo ID law violated the North Carolina Constitution. The court’s decision, which was issued on Sept. 17, 2021, means that voters are not required to show photo ID in elections in North Carolina. For more information visit the State Board of Elections website: www.ncsbe.gov.
  • Please note that there are some circumstances under which newly registered voters (first time voters in a new county and/or same-day registration during early voting) may need to verify their residence by providing additional documentation.
    • North Carolina driver license
    • Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, so long as the card bears the voter’s current name and current address.
    • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address
    • A current college/university photo identification card paired with proof of campus habitation

What does a primary or general election mean?

  • In a primary election voters can choose which candidates they prefer to be on the general election ballot in November. The purpose of a primary is to narrow the field of candidates for the general election. Please note that some primary elections may have other final contests on their ballot that were rescheduled from another election. In North Carolina voters affiliated with any political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party. Unaffiliated voters may choose which party’s ballot they wish to cast their vote on.
  • A general election is a regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a primary election. 

What should I register as?

  • It’s up to you! This is what the NC State Board of Elections says about party affiliation: “There are five recognized political parties in North Carolina: Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican. Voter registration applicants may choose one of these political parties when completing a voter registration application, or they may choose not to register with a political party affiliation. In this case, the voter’s party affiliation will be designated as Unaffiliated. North Carolina has a semi-closed primary system. In a partisan primary, voters who are affiliated with a political party may only vote the partisan ballot for the party for which they are affiliated; they are closed from voting in another party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters may vote in any one recognized party’s primary. In a General Election, voters may vote for the candidate(s) of their choice, regardless of the candidate(s)’ party affiliation. There is no longer straight-party voting in North Carolina. Voters must make a separate selection for each contest.”

Will voting in NC affect my federal financial aid?

  • Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants and Perkins or Stafford loans or your dependency status regarding FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Will registering to vote in NC affect my scholarship?

  • If you receive scholarship money from a state, county, town, or private entity (i.e., an entity other than the federal government) you should confirm that residency in a particular place is not a requirement of the scholarship and/or that voter registration in NC will not affect your eligibility.

Voting Information & Resources