Frequently Asked Questions about Voting

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To register to vote, you must be:  

1.A U.S. citizen 

2. At least 18 years old by Election Day* 

3; A resident of the county for at least 30 days before Election Day 

4. A person who is not currently in jail or prison for a felony sentence. 

** * A 17-year-old may register and vote in the Primary if he or she will be 18 on the day of the General Election.  Pre-registration is also available for 16 and 17 year-olds. Complete the regular voter registration form and submit it to your county Board of Elections. The registration will be held in a queue and automatically processed when the voter turns of age.  

** If you have been convicted of a felony (in NC or anywhere else), you are eligible to register in North Carolina as soon as you complete your sentence (including any probation or parole).  

Students or members of the military living away from home and people in jail on misdemeanor charges or awaiting a felony sentence are all eligible to register to vote.

Under NC law, where you vote depends on where you call “home.” You have two choices if you are a student who has moved away to attend school and has no firm intent to return to a certain address after graduation:  

You can declare your old address (probably a parent’s address) as your home, because that’s where you return periodically; in that case, you may register and vote in your old hometown. 

Or you can declare your new address as your home, because that’s where you return day after day. In that case, you may register and vote in your new town. 

You have to choose: It’s a serious crime to vote in two places in the same election. 

If you are already registered to vote in your hometown and now live in another community, you can vote by mail by requesting an ABSENTEE BALLOT or you can take advantage of EARLY VOTING on a trip home during the Early Voting period.

A person convicted of a felony temporarily loses his or her citizenship rights in North Carolina. But you automatically get your rights back after you finish your felony sentence, including any time on probation or parole. You do not need a special document saying your rights are restored. You just register to vote like any other citizen. If you were registered before your conviction, you will need to register again.  

An outstanding payment of restitution or a civil fine does not affect your voting rights.  

If you are awaiting trial or if you are serving a misdemeanor sentence, you do not lose your right to vote, even if you are in jail.  

If you are in jail, put an address on the registration form where your mail will be accepted and received. (If the Board of Elections’ mail to you is returned as undeliverable, you may not be able to vote.) List that address as your residential and mailing address, even if it is in a different county from the jail, and mail your registration form to the 

BOARD OF ELECTIONS 

Terri Robertson 227 FOUNTAINHEAD LANE SUITE 101 FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28301 . 

 Phone: 910678-7733.  

This is the same Board where you will send your Absentee Ballot request form when the time comes to vote.  

As an alternative, you can use the jail’s address where you receive mail and mail your completed registration form to the CUMBERLAND COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS  

Terri Robertson 227 FOUNTAINHEAD LANE SUITE 101 FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28301 .  

Phone: 910678-7733  

in the same county as the jail; this is the same Board where you will send your Absentee Ballot request form when the time comes to vote.  

Your voter registration card will be mailed to the address that you put down as your mailing address. If you have not received a voting card within three weeks, you can SEARCH YOUR REGISTRATION STATUS ONLINE or contact your COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS  Terri Robertson 227 FOUNTAINHEAD LANE SUITE 101 FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28301 . 

Phone: 910678-7733

You will vote by following the directions for using an ABSENTEE BALLOT in the county where you mailed your registration form.

You can register to vote *after* the regular deadline, but only during the Early Voting period.  

Same Day Registration is a good option if you missed the 25-day registration deadline, or have recently become eligible to vote. To use Same Day Registration, you must provide one of the following documents to an election official at an Early Voting location:  

• NC driver’s license or identity card from NC DMV 
• Utility bill (electric, phone, cable, water, etc.), bank statement, or payroll stub with the voter’s name and current address 
• Student photo ID, plus a school document showing the student’s address 
• Any document from any government agency with the voter’s name and current addr