Early Voting

• Current Status: Photo ID Required for Voting
• Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina, starting with the 2023 Municipal Elections. Voters will also be asked to show photo ID in the 2024 Primary and General elections.
• Most voters will simply show their driver's license, but many other types of ID will be accepted. For a list of acceptable photo IDs, see Voter ID.
• Voters without a photo ID can get a "No Fee ID Card" from the NCDMV. Voters can also get a free voter ID card from the county board of elections office. Contact the New Hanover County Board of Elections Office at (910) 798-7330 for more information. 
• For more information about Voter ID in North Carolina visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections Voter ID webpage.

Early Voting (formerly referred to as One-Stop Voting) allows any registered voter to cast an absentee ballot in person on select days prior to Election Day. 

Early Voting allows voters an opportunity to vote when it best suits individual schedules. For the 2024 Primary Election, the in-person early voting period begins Thursday, February 15, and ends Saturday, March 2, 2024. 

During early voting, voters may cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county. This is different from Election Day when registered voters must vote at their assigned precinct.

At the voting location, you will vote much like you would on Election Day. The difference is you will be required to complete and sign an absentee request application prior to voting. 

Afterwards, you will receive your ballot, make your selections, and place completed ballot in the tabulator. 

Once you have submitted your application and executed the process of voting, the county board of elections will review your application and either approve or deny the submission.

Voters may present to vote at Early Voting even if they are not currently registered to vote in New Hanover County using a process called "Same Day Registration" which allows voters to register to vote and vote same day.  This  "Same-Day Registration" process is permitted under state law.

To use same-day registration, a person must complete a voter registration application and show an election official proof of residential address in the county. 

This "proof of address" may consist of:

•  A current and valid photo ID or a document showing the name and current address of the applicant
  • To be "current", the document must be the most recent version or at least dated within three months of the date it is presented to an election official. 
  • Copies of acceptable "name and current address" documents are permissible. 
  • Voters may also present an electronic or online version of a "name and current address" document, as long as the document is obtained from the original source and shows his or her current name and address, such as: 
    • Bills from utility companies
    • Electronic bank statements
    • Electronic earnings statement from employer
    • Other documents as approved by the NC State Board of Elections, call the BOE at (910) 798-7330 for more information
• Proof of residence for college students (specifically UNCW students) includes:
  • A current college/university photo identification card paired with either:
  • Any document originating with the educational institution and containing the student's name and on-campus housing address or facility name; or 
  • A current roster prepared by the college/university and transmitted to the county board of elections office, which lists all students residing in campus housing facilities. 
    • In New Hanover County, we use the second option to assist UNCW students with the same-day registration process. Learn more about registering as a college student in North Carolina.

Within two business days of the person's registration, the county board of elections will verify the person's driver license or social security number, update the voter registration database, search for possible duplicate registrations, and proceed to verify the registrant's address by mail. The registrant's vote will be counted unless the county board of elections determines that the registrant is not qualified to vote.