Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION TOPICS
VOTER REGISTRATION
How and where can I get a voter registration form or change of address & party form?
Pick up a form at any Wake County Public Library, any town hall, the Board of Elections office at 337 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, or download and print a form from our website. Complete and sign the form, then mail it to us. Registered voters may use the form to update their name, address and party. Registered voters may also update their registration information by completing the back of their voter card and mailing or delivering it to the Wake County Board of Elections. Our mailing address is:
Wake County Board of Elections
PO Box 695
Raleigh, NC 27602
When is the deadline to register to vote in an election?
If mailed, the registration form must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election. If hand-delivered, the registration form must be received at the Board of Elections office no later than 5 p.m. on the 25th day prior to the election or postmarked by that date.
The deadline to register for the May 4, 2010, Primary is April 9, 2010, by 5 p.m.
The deadline to register for the November 2, 2010, General Election is October 8, 2010, by 5 p.m.
What should I do if I missed the voter registration deadline?
If you did not register to vote by the 25th day before an election, you may register and vote at the same time at any early voting location. Closer to the date of the next election, visit www.wakegov.com/elections to view a list of early voting sites.
Do I need my voter registration card in order to vote?
NO, you do not need your voter registration card to vote. You will state your name and address (and party affiliation if it is a Primary).
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
What is a municipal election?
A municipal election in Wake County is a non-partisan election held every two years in odd-numbered years to elect members of a municipality's governing bodies. There are 13 municipalities whose boundaries lie within Wake County: Angier, Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Raleigh, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon. For more information on the governing bodies of these municipalities, visit the town websites.
How do I know if my voter registration is up to date?
Click here to confirm the status of your voter registration, find your voting location, and view a sample ballot for the upcoming election. Online voter information is generally updated weekly. You can also call the Wake County Board of Elections office at 919-856-6240.
When are the polls open?
On Election Day, the polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
How do I know where to vote?
The Board of Elections will send you a new voter registration card in the mail when you register to vote, make an address change or information change, or if the Board of Elections assigns you to a new precinct or polling place. Your voting location (polling place) is printed on the card. You are assigned a polling place based on the precinct where you live. You may also determine your voting location here. Online voter information is generally updated weekly.
If you do not know where to vote or if you have moved from the residence address we have on file, don't wait until Election Day! You may experience a delay in voting if your residence address is not up to date or if we have sent mail to your voter registration address that was returned to us by the Postal Service.
Look up your registration status and polling place location.
Where can I find driving directions to my voting place?
Find directions and maps here.
Where can I view a sample ballot?
Near the date of each election, you can view and print a sample ballot here.
Do I have to show my ID at the polls?
You may be required to show ID the first time you vote in Wake County if you registered by mail and did not provide a valid identification number. Acceptable ID includes the following:
- A current and valid photo ID
- A current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck, or a government document that shows your name and address as it appears on your voter registration application.
How should I vote if I moved within Wake County but did not send an address change before the election?
If you moved within Wake County more than 30 days prior to an election and failed to notify the Board of Elections, you have two options:
- Vote early at an early voting location. NC General Statutes allow voters to change their address and vote the correct ballot for that updated address when voting at any early voting location. Near the date of the next election, visit www.wakegov.com/elections to view a list of early voting sites. Early voting is the easiest and quickest option if you did not update your address.
- Vote at your new precinct on Election Day. You may be required to vote a provisional ballot. Please give yourself plenty of time to update your information at your new precinct. The process requires additional time to complete the forms necessary to update your information before you can be issued a ballot.
Call or e-mail the Board of Elections for further information at 919-856-6240 or voter@wakegov.com.
I am at the wrong polling place. Can I vote here anyway?
On Election Day, you should vote in your assigned precinct in order to make sure you receive a ballot that contains all races for which you are eligible to vote. If you think you may not make it to your precinct on Election Day, please consider voting early at an early voting site.
If you go to the wrong polling place, you may be required to vote a provisional ballot. By showing up at the wrong location, you may not get to vote for your correct jurisdictional representatives, such as School Board or State House and Senate representatives. As a result, your provisional ballot may only be partially counted. Please plan to allow yourself additional time at the polls if you go to the wrong precinct. All proper forms, documentation and ballot verification must be made before you can be issued a ballot at the incorrect polling place.
Can I wear a button or T-shirt into my polling place that endorses a particular candidate on it?
Per Don Wright, General Counsel for the North Carolina State Board of Elections:
A voter may enter a voting place to vote wearing political items as long as they proceed to vote in an orderly and timely manner, and do not attempt to electioneer within the voting place. A voter wearing a T-shirt that states "vote for X," shouts "vote for X," or places his T-shirt in the sight line of voters asking support for "X" is obviously electioneering and will be asked to refrain from the conduct at once and, if they continue, will be removed.
A voter who has a political cap, T-shirt or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal manner. A voter wearing a political item does not violate GS 163-166.4. We do not know what the laws of other states provide. You have to contact them.
Don Wright, General Counsel, NC State Board of Elections
§ 163 166.4. Limitation on activity in the voting place and in a buffer zone around it.
(a) Buffer Zone and Adjacent Area for Election Related Activity. – No person or group of persons shall hinder access, harass others, distribute campaign literature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwise engage in election related activity in the voting place or in a buffer zone which shall be prescribed by the county board of elections around the voting place. In determining the dimensions of that buffer zone for each voting place, the county board of elections shall, where practical, set the limit at 50 feet from the door of entrance to the voting place, measured when that door is closed, but in no event shall it set the limit at more than 50 feet or at less than 25 feet. Except as provided in subsection (b), the county board of elections shall also provide an area adjacent to the buffer zone for each voting place in which persons or groups of persons may distribute campaign literature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwise engage in election related activity.
(b) Special Agreements About Election Related Activity. – The Executive Director of the State Board of Elections may grant special permission for a county board of elections to enter into an agreement with the owners or managers of a nonpublic building to use the building as a voting place on the condition that election related activity as described in subsection (a) of this section not be permitted on their property adjacent to the buffer zone, if the Executive Director finds all of the following:
(1) That no other suitable voting place can be secured for the precinct.
(2) That the county board will require the chief judge of the precinct to monitor the grounds around the voting place to ensure that the restriction on election related activity shall apply to all candidates and parties equally.
(3) That the pattern of voting places subject to agreements under this subsection does not disproportionately favor any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate.
An agreement under this subsection shall be valid for as long as the nonpublic building is used as a voting place.
(c) Notice About Buffer Zone. – No later than 30 days before each election, the county board of elections shall make available to the public the following information concerning each voting place:
(1) The door from which the buffer zone is measured.
(2) The distance the buffer zone extends from that door.
(3) Any available information concerning where political activity, including sign placement, is permitted beyond the buffer zone.
(d) Buffer Zone at One Stop Sites. –The provisions of this section shall apply to one stop voting sites in G.S. 163 227.2, except that the notice in subsection (c) of this section shall be provided no later than 10 days before the opening of one stop voting at the site. (2001 460, s. 3; 2003 365, s. 1; 2007 391, s. 13.)
I saw somebody at the polls today who does not live in this precinct anymore. How do I get that person to vote where he/she is supposed to?
Talk to the precinct officials and file an Election Day Challenge. They have the forms and instructions. You can also contact the Board of Elections office, and we’ll tell you about additional options. Either way, thanks for keeping your eyes open!
What if I am unable to enter the polling place because of age or physical disability?
You may request an absentee ballot. See below for more information on absentee voting.
If you prefer to vote on Election Day or at an early voting site but are unable to enter the facility, you may vote outside the voting location in your car. This procedure is called "curbside voting." Look for the curbside voting sign near the entrance to the voting place and park there. A precinct election official will assist you in verifying your registration information and bringing you a ballot. If you cannot locate a precinct election official in the parking lot, please ask someone to enter the voting place and inform the election officials that you need assistance.
I plan to bring a voter to vote curbside. Can I sit in the car and vote curbside, too?
ONLY if you also cannot enter the polling place due to age or physical disability.
Can I bring someone with me to provide physical assistance or to help me vote?
The guidelines for voter assistance are listed below:
§ 163-166.8. Assistance to voters.
(a) Any registered voter qualified to vote in the election shall be entitled to assistance with entering and exiting the voting booth and in preparing ballots in accordance with the following rules:
(1) Any voter is entitled to assistance from the voter's spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild, as chosen by the voter.
(2) A voter in any of the following four categories is entitled to assistance from a person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or an officer or agent of the voter's union:
a. A voter who, on account of physical disability, is unable to enter the voting booth without assistance.
b. A voter who, on account of physical disability, is unable to mark a ballot without assistance.
c. A voter who, on account of illiteracy, is unable to mark a ballot without assistance.
d. A voter who, on account of blindness, is unable to enter the voting booth or mark a ballot without assistance.
(b) A qualified voter seeking assistance in an election shall, upon arriving at the voting place, request permission from the chief judge to have assistance, stating the reasons. If the chief judge determines that such assistance is appropriate, the chief judge shall ask the voter to point out and identify the person the voter desires to provide such assistance. If the identified person meets the criteria in subsection (a) of this section, the chief judge shall request the person indicated to render the assistance. The chief judge, one of the judges, or one of the assistants may provide aid to the voter if so requested, if the election official is not prohibited by subdivision
(a)(2) of this section. Under no circumstances shall any precinct official be assigned to assist a voter qualified for assistance, who was not specified by the voter.
(c) A person rendering assistance to a voter in an election shall be admitted to the voting booth with the voter being assisted. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules governing voter assistance, and those rules shall adhere to the following guidelines:
(1) The person rendering assistance shall not in any manner seek to persuade or induce any voter to cast any vote in any particular way.
(2) The person rendering assistance shall not make or keep any memorandum of anything which occurs within the voting booth.
(3) The person rendering assistance shall not, directly or indirectly, reveal to any person how the assisted voter marked ballots, unless the person rendering assistance is called upon to testify in a judicial proceeding for a violation of the election laws.
I am legally blind. Can someone accompany me in the voting booth?
Yes, you may receive assistance from any person of your choice, except your employer or union agent. Alternately, you may ask one of the precinct election officials to assist you.
Can my Power of Attorney vote for me?
No. If you cannot make it to the polls, you may request an absentee ballot.
I am registered unaffiliated. May I vote in a primary election?
Party affiliation determines the primary in which a voter is eligible to vote. If you do not declare a party, you will be registered as unaffiliated. In a partisan primary election, you must choose which party ballot you wish to vote when you go to your voting place.
ADDRESS CHANGES
I moved less than 30 days before Election Day, and I don’t know where to vote.
If you moved less than 30 days before the date of the election, you must vote at your old precinct or at an early voting location.
I moved more than 30 days before Election Day, but I didn’t get a new voter registration card and don’t know where to vote.
If you updated your address with the Board of Elections, you may go to your new precinct.
Verify your registration information and locate your polling place here.
If you go the old precinct, you must tell the election officials where you have moved to, and they will refer you to your correct voting precinct.
The easiest and most convenient way to vote is at an early voting location. Near the date of each election, visit www.WakeVotesEarly.com for a complete list of early voting locations, dates and times.
ABSENTEE BY MAIL VOTING
I will be away on Election Day. how do I vote by absentee ballot?
Any registered voter in Wake County may request an absentee ballot or may vote at an early voting site.
No excuse is required.
How do I request an absentee ballot?
All requests for absentee ballots MUST be made in writing and must include the following information:
- Voter’s name
- Voter’s current residence address
- Voter’s date of birth
- Address where ballot should be mailed (if different from the residence address)
- A daytime phone number (in case we have questions or need additional information)
- Voter’s signature
Where do I mail my absentee ballot request?
Wake County Board of Elections
Attn: Absentee Dept.
PO Box 695
Raleigh NC 27602
May someone request an absentee ballot for me?
A voter’s near relative may request an absentee ballot for the voter. In lieu of the voter’s signature, the request must include the requester’s signature, address, daytime phone number, and relationship to the voter.
May I request an absentee ballot by phone or email?
No. Your request must be in writing and mailed or hand-delivered.
Mail Request to:
Wake County Board of Elections
Attn: Absentee Dept.
PO BOX 695
Raleigh NC 27602
Hand-delivered to:
Wake County Board of Elections Office
337 S. Salisbury St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Do I have to request an absentee ballot for each election?
Yes; however, if you are requesting an absentee ballot for a primary, you may simultaneously request that a General Election absentee ballot be sent to you, as well. The absentee ballots will be mailed separately at the appropriate time.
When is the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot?
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before an election.
When is the deadline for returning an absentee ballot?
The deadline to return an absentee ballot is the Monday before an election at 5 p.m.
What may a person in possession of a Power of Attorney do for an absentee voter?
A person in possession of a Power of Attorney for an individual is not permitted to apply for voter registration, to vote in person, or to vote by absentee ballot for the individual.
What is the status of my absentee ballot request?
See where your absentee ballot is.
May another person return my absentee ballot for me?
Yes, if that person is your spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in- law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild.
May two people return their ballots in the same envelope?
No. The returned ballot envelope is specific to each voter and must contain that voter’s ballot.
May I hand-deliver my voted absentee ballot to the Board of Elections office?
Yes. Your voted absentee ballot must be in the Wake County Board of Elections Office by 5 p.m. on the Monday before an election.
May I hand-deliver my voted absentee ballot to the polls on Election Day?
No. The deadline to return your voted absentee ballot is at 5 p.m. on the Monday before Election Day.
May I vote absentee on Election Day?
No. You must vote in your precinct on Election Day.
When will my absentee ballot be counted?
The mail-in absentee ballots are counted at 2 p.m., on Election Day, but the results are not posted until 7:30 p.m., after the closing of the polls on Election Day.
I heard that if I vote absentee by mail or at an early voting site, then my vote may not get counted. Is that true?
NO. Your vote will be counted on Election Day along with the ballots cast in the precincts.
Where can I learn more about absentee voting for military and overseas voters?
Visit the State Board of Elections or the Federal Voting Assistance Program
EARLY VOTING SITES
Where can I find a list of early voting sites for upcoming elections?
Early voting sites are approved by the Board 2-4 months prior to an election. As soon as early voting sites, dates, and times are finalized, they will be posted on the Board of Elections website and www.WakeVotesEarly.com.
Who can vote at an early voting site?
Any eligible Wake County voter may vote at any Wake County early voting site. All ballot styles are available at every early voting site, so you will receive the same ballot you would receive if you went to your assigned polling place on Election Day.
I heard that if I vote absentee by mail or at an early voting site, then my vote may not get counted. Is that true?
NO. Your vote will be counted on Election Day along with the ballots cast in the precincts.
Can I register to vote and vote all at the same time at an early voting site?
Yes. You must be eligible to register and must provide acceptable proof of identification in order to register and vote at an early voting site. Learn more.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? FEEDBACK?
Do you have a question you don’t see answered here? Then please send us a message. Include a note in the body of the text that we ought to include it in our FAQ section as well as the question you want an answer to. E-mail your FAQ suggestions to voter@wakegov.com.