Friday at 5 p.m. marks the deadline for North Carolina voters to register to vote in the 2024 election — or make changes to your registration if you’ve moved or changed your name.

Voter registration forms can be completed by mail, online or in person at Department of Motor Vehicle offices.

People who want to vote on Election Day itself, November 5th, or by mail must meet this Friday deadline. However, people who miss the deadline can still register at a polling station during early voting and cast their vote on the same day, as long as they bring documents proving their identity, such as an unexpired driver’s license.

There are 22 early voting locations in Wake County this year, more than in the past. On Thursday, WRAL News visited the Southeast Raleigh YMCA, where staffers were preparing the polling site for early voting to begin next week. “If you miss the voter registration deadline (on Friday), your next opportunity is to take advantage of same-day registration during early voting,” said Olivia McCall, Wake County elections director.

There are several dates to note:

• Oct. 11: Voter registration deadline
• Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting and voter registration on the same day
• Oct. 29: Deadline for most voters to request mail-in ballots
• November 4: Deadline to request mail-in ballots for voters in the 25 counties where Helene emergency regulations apply
• November 5: Election Day (you cannot register to vote on Election Day)

WRAL News has a 2024 election guide with everything you need to know about voting.

There are some big changes to note since the last presidential election in 2020:

• You must provide an approved photo voter ID card. A driver’s license, passport and many other forms of identification are accepted. If you don’t already have one, you can still vote by filling out a “substantiated disability” form and explaining the reason. In this case you must vote provisionally.
• A shorter acceptance period applies to postal ballots. You must now arrive at your district election office by 7:30 p.m. on election day.
• Results will take longer to come in than in 2020. New laws prevent election officials from counting the first in-person votes until polls close on Election Day. Although the law was written by Republican lawmakers last year, the brief delay it caused sparked conspiracy theories among some conservative voters during the March primary election this year.

Personal vote

How can I vote early but in person? You can only vote in person in the county where you live. You can cast your vote in person during early voting or on Election Day. Early in-person voting in North Carolina lasts 17 days, from October 17 at 8 a.m. to November 2 at 3 p.m.

Early voting times and locations vary by county. You can look up information about your district here.

How and where do I vote on election day? On Election Day, November 5, polls in North Carolina will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You should vote in your assigned voting district. You can find your district using the state’s voter locator tool.

If you are in line to vote at 7:30 p.m., you are allowed to vote.

Vote by mail

The state has already begun accepting applications for absentee ballots. Voters have until Oct. 29 to request a ballot — except for Western North Carolina voters in the 25 counties affected by Helene, who have until Nov. 4 — but state election officials recommend applying submit earlier.

How do I submit my mail-in ballot? To submit your mail-in ballot, you will need a photocopy of your approved voter ID. This goes in the sleeve on the outside of the ballot box envelope. If you do not have the opportunity to make a copy of your ID, you can fill out the exemption form included with your ballot.

You must also sign the ballot container envelope and have two witnesses or a notary with you to certify that they saw you fill it out. They must also print their name and address on the ballot envelope.

Then place the ballot box envelope in the return envelope. You’ll need to add postage – $1.77 or three forever stamps – to return it to your county elections office.

You can track your mailed ballot to ensure it is delivered by using the state’s BallotTrax app.

If you requested a ballot but didn’t receive it, or have a completed and mailed ballot but don’t believe it reached its destination, you can call your county elections office and request a new ballot. The old one will be “spoiled” so it doesn’t count — a way to prevent people from stealing mail-in ballots and ensure legitimate votes are counted.

New rules for Western NC

While voters across North Carolina will be allowed to drop off their mail-in ballots in person at early voting sites in their home county, voters from the 25 counties under an emergency order due to Storm Helene will be allowed to drop off their mail-in ballots in person at any early voting site Votes in each county.

Ballots cast in other counties must be returned to the voter’s home county. State lawmakers ensured that the chain of custody of all ballots must be documented at all times to ensure that no ballots are lost or added improperly. Karen Brinson Bell, director of state elections, said there are additional controls to ensure there is “no ballot harvesting and no ballot stuffing.”

A new disaster relief package for western North Carolina also loosens rules for poll watchers and poll workers to allow people to work outside their home counties. And it includes $5 million in additional funding to help counties in this region ensure elections run as smoothly as possible despite the damage.