Voting in the 2026 Primary Election
Important Dates
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New Hanover County In Person Early Voting
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Bruswick County In Person Early Voting
Pender County In Person Early Voting
Casting a Ballot
There are 3 ways to cast a ballot
There are 3 ways to cast a ballot
- Request and complete an absentee ballot and mail it to your county Board of Elections or submit it in person at your county Board office.
- Vote early at your county one-stop voting site(s).
- Vote on election day
- https://elections.NHCgov.com (New Hanover County
- https://pendercountync.gov/boe (Pender County)
- https://brunswickcountync.gov/elections (Brunswick County)
- Early Voting - In-Person Early Voting allows any registered voter to cast ballot in person on select days prior to Election Day. Absentee-By-Mail Voting allows voters an opportunity to vote when it best suits individual schedules. For the 2026 Statewide Primary Election, the in-person early voting period begins Thursday, February 12, and ends Saturday, February 28.
- Absentee voting — This method of voting requires registered voters to request a ballot through the online Absentee Request Portal on the NC State Board of Elections website or complete the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form✎, and submit the form to your county board of elections or in person or by mail via the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx, or UPS. The absentee ballot request deadline is February 17th.
- Once processed, you will receive the ballot in the mail for you to complete and return prior to the Absentee Ballot Deadline - Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM if returned by hand to BOE office or received by mail.
- Once you have requested your absentee ballot, you can track its status from printed to accepted by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax. BallotTrax will be available 30 days prior to the election.
- Primary Election Day - Tuesday, March 3
Registering to Vote
Are you registered to vote?
You can check your registration using the State Board of Elections Voter Lookup Tool.
How do I register to vote?
If you are an existing NC DMV customer, you can register to vote online through the DMV website. You can also print out a Voter Registration Form
If you are a new registrant, the original form is needed so it must be mailed or hand delivered to your county Board of Elections office. If you are an existing voter, you may return the form by email or fax.
If you are a student click here for voting information.
How do I make changes to my registration?
There are several ways an existing voters can make changes to their voter registration record.
When is the deadline to register to vote?
You must be registered to vote 25 days prior to the election – Friday, February 6, 2026. This is also the deadline for party changes. Mailed forms must be postmarked by this date.
What are my options if I missed the voter registration deadline?
If a resident has lived in his or her county for 30 days prior to the election and misses the voter registration deadline, they may go to any One-Stop Early Voting site to register and vote the same day. The individual will be required to provide acceptable proof of residence before they can become registered. A list of acceptable proof of residence documents can be found at your county Board of Elections site (Notice to Same Day Registrants).
Same day registration is only available during one-stop early voting; it is not available on election day.
Are you registered to vote?
You can check your registration using the State Board of Elections Voter Lookup Tool.
How do I register to vote?
If you are an existing NC DMV customer, you can register to vote online through the DMV website. You can also print out a Voter Registration Form
If you are a new registrant, the original form is needed so it must be mailed or hand delivered to your county Board of Elections office. If you are an existing voter, you may return the form by email or fax.
If you are a student click here for voting information.
How do I make changes to my registration?
There are several ways an existing voters can make changes to their voter registration record.
- Address and party changes may be made online through the DMV.
- Make changes on your voter registration card and mail it back to our office.
- Complete a Voter Registration Application and return it by mail, email, or fax.
When is the deadline to register to vote?
You must be registered to vote 25 days prior to the election – Friday, February 6, 2026. This is also the deadline for party changes. Mailed forms must be postmarked by this date.
What are my options if I missed the voter registration deadline?
If a resident has lived in his or her county for 30 days prior to the election and misses the voter registration deadline, they may go to any One-Stop Early Voting site to register and vote the same day. The individual will be required to provide acceptable proof of residence before they can become registered. A list of acceptable proof of residence documents can be found at your county Board of Elections site (Notice to Same Day Registrants).
Same day registration is only available during one-stop early voting; it is not available on election day.