The Wake County Board of Elections has staffed a voting help line with voting experts who can help you with any question you may have. 
Please call 919-404-4040 Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM. These voting experts can help you with just about any voting-related question you have! Here are just some examples of the information you can obtain by calling 919-404-4040.
- Registering to Vote or Updating your voter registration information
- Absentee Ballots (This is the same as Mail-in Ballots.)
Confirming that you are on the mailing list to receive an Absentee Ballot
Confirming that your Absentee Ballot – once completed – has been received.
More information about who can be a witness and how this should work. - Early Voting – Polling Locations and Times
- Election Day Voting – Polling Locations, Polling Addresses, Times
Frequently Asked Questions
Voter Registration
Q: I think I am registered to vote. How can I tell for sure?
A: Go to the Wake County Board of Elections or the NC State Board of Elections to check your registration.
Q: If I’m a student registered to vote at my college and forced to return home due to COVID-19 how do I vote?
A: If you are registered to vote at your campus address and have not requested an absentee ballot, you may request a ballot (North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form) – see “How to Request a North Carolina Absentee Request Form” on our “Voting by Mail” page – and have it sent to an address of your choosing. This is the best option for students who are registered to vote at their campus and know they will be leaving their campus address for the remainder of the semester.
Q: If I am not registered to vote, what should I do?
A: There are several options to start the voter registration process.
- Contact either the NC State Board of Elections or Wake County Board of Elections to request a voter registration form.
- Call 919-404-4040 which is the Wake County Board of Elections to request a voter registration form.
- Go to youcanvote.org to find out where you can register to vote through this organization.
- Go to the Wake County Board of Elections to pick up a voter registration form. Address: Board of Elections, 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Voting by Mail (Absentee Ballot)
Q: Can I vote by mail?
A: Yes, any registered voter in North Carolina can vote by mail.
Q: Is an “Absentee Ballot” the same as a “Mail-in Ballot”?
A: Yes.
Q: How much does it cost to vote by mail?
A: The only cost involved should be one First Class Stamp which is $.55. You can call 919-404-4040, Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM to request your mail-in ballot. There is no cost for this service. Upon completing your mail-in ballot you need to use one-stamp only on the envelope that was provided with your ballot. It is important to use the envelope that came with your ballot. One stamp-only is required. This is the most cost-efficient way to vote!
Q: How do I obtain an absentee ballot?
A: First, you must request an absentee ballot by October 27, 2020. There are 3 ways you can obtain an absentee ballot.
- Online: www.wakegov.com/elections/info/Pages/absentee or www.NCSBE.gov
- Phone: 919-404-4040
- In-person: Wake County Board of Elections, 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Q: Are instructions available in Spanish?
A: Yes. Contact www.NCSBE.gov or 919-404-4040 to request instructions in Spanish.
Q: Then what?
A: After receiving the absentee ballot, the voter needs to carefully fill out the ballot in the presence of a witness. The witness must sign the ballot and witness that the voter placed the completed ballot in the envelope provided by the Board of Elections. For more information, read “Voting by Mail in North Carolina 2020” in this Vote 2020 site.
Q: When should I mail in my ballot?
A: Vote 2020 recommends mailing in your ballot or hand-delivering your ballot as soon as possible due to the volume of mail-in ballots expected and the slow-down in the U. S. Postal Service. The official deadline is that the ballot must be postmarked by 5:00 PM on November 3, 2020 or delivered to the Wake County Board of Elections by 5:00 PM on November 3, 2020. (Wake County Board of Elections address: 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, NC 27610.) If mailing via USPS use one first class stamp-only.
Q: Do I need to have my ballot notarized?
A: No. You do not need to have your absentee ballot notarized. The voter needs to have one person witness the voter completing the ballot. Both the voter and the witness must sign the ballot. The voter must place the completed ballot in the envelope provided with the absentee ballot. For more information on who can and cannot be a witness, please see “7 Steps for Completing, Returning and Tracking your Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot” in this Vote 2020 site. OR contact www.NCSBE.gov for more information on witness and completing mail-in ballots.
Q: There is more than one person in my household who will be voting by mail this election. Can I put all of their ballots in one envelope and return them?
A: No. You must use the envelope that was provided with the ballot and only one ballot must be enclosed.
Q: Can I return my completed ballot by dropping it off at an Early Voting site?
A: Yes. You can return your mail-in ballot during the Early Voting hours at a location near you between October 15 – 31, 2020. Upon arrival, you will stand in line, if there is a line, and notify the Elections official that you have a mail-in ballot to drop off. The Elections official at the location, will then direct you. For more information on Early Voting hours and locations in Wake County click (www.wakegov.com/Early-Voting)
Q: Can someone request an absentee ballot for me?
A: Yes. Your near relative or legal guardian may request a ballot for you. A near relative is: your spouse, bother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild.
Q: Does a faxed absentee ballot request need a cover sheet?
A: No.
Q: I live by myself, am very susceptible to the virus and do not want contact with anyone. How do I get my absentee ballot witnessed?
A: A voter is required to vote their ballot in the presence of a witness, but the witness may do so while socially distanced. In fact, the law requires that the witness preserve the secrecy of the voter’s ballot. A voter may choose to vote their ballot outside or may stand across the room from the witness. A voter could also ask their witness to observe through a window. In addition to wearing a mask and gloves, the voter and witness may wish to use separate pens and use hand sanitizer or wash their hands with soap and water before and after touching the balloting materials.
Q: May I hand-deliver my voted absentee ballot to the polls on Election Day?
A: No. You may return your ballot to an Early Voting location during Early Voting from October 15 – 31, 2020. But you cannot drop off your absentee ballot at a voting location on Election Day. You can deliver the completed absentee ballot to the Wake County Board of Elections at 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, 27610 by 5:00 PM on November 3, 2020.
Q: Can I track the progress of my Absentee Ballot (Mail-in Ballot)?
A: Yes. Go to the NC State Board of Elections tracking website, BallotTrax, https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/. Set up an account on BallotTrax to follow the progress of your absentee by-mail ballot. You can track the ballot from the time you request the ballot until the completed ballot has been received by the voter’s county Board of Elections. Sign up for email, text and/or voice alerts for status updates.
Note: Voters who do not vote by mail will not be able to use BallotTrax.
Early Voting
Q: Do I need a Voter ID to vote?
A: No. You do not need a Voter ID to vote in NC for Voting Early or Election Day voting.
Q: Can I drop off my mail-in ballot at an Early Voting site?
A: Yes. You can return your mail-in ballot during the Early Voting hours at a location near you between October 15 – 31, 2020. Upon arrival, you will stand in line, if there is a line, and notify the Elections official that you have a mail-in ballot to drop off. The Elections official at the location, will then direct you. For more information on Early Voting hours and locations in Wake County click (www.wakegov.com/Early-Voting)
Q: Where and when can I Early Vote?
A: Wake County Board of Elections has created a comprehensive list of Early Voting locations, hours and dates. Click here: Wake County Early Voting.
Q: Can I register to vote and cast a vote the same day at an Early Voting location?
A: Yes. You will need to bring important information with you such as a Driver’s License and/or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number and you must also bring something that proves your residential address located in Wake County where you have resided for at least 30-days – like a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address. For more information click www.NCSBE.gov.
Election Day
Q: What if I request an absentee ballot but later change my mind and want to vote in person?
A: That’s fine. As long as you don’t vote twice – that’s a crime – you can vote however you want. Simply getting a mail-in ballot doesn’t mean you have to use that ballot. You can always change your mind and go vote in person.
Q: Is a photo ID required to vote?
A: No. You do not need a photo ID to vote in North Carolina.
Q: When are the polls open on Election Day?
A: All polls are open on Election Day from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
Q: Can I still vote if I am in line at 7:30 PM?
A: Yes. If you are in line at 7:30 PM, you will be allowed to vote. Your vote will count so please do not leave the line to return home.
Q: Some polling locations have changed. How do I find out where I vote?
A: The best place to locate your polling location is to check out the Wake County Board of Elections website (http://www.wakegov.com/elections/info/Pages/pollingplaces.aspx). When you go to this page, you will see multiple options for finding your polling location. Or you can call the Wake County Board of Elections at 919-404-4040 Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM to find out where your nearest poll site is located.
More North Carolina Voting Resources
FAQs: Voting by Mail in North Carolina in 2020
https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Outreach/Absentee/FAQs_Absentee_Voting_2020_FINAL.pdf
State Absentee Ballot Request Form: www.NCSBE.gov, www.wakegov.com
Registering to Vote: Youcanvote.org, vote.org, or www.ncsbe.gov/registering, Wake County Board of Elections / phone: 919-404-4040 / Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM.
Voting Guide: youcanvote.org/voter-guide