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Learn everything you need to know about voting in the upcoming election, including how to vote in person or through the mail as well as local candidates' positions on various issues.

Elections 101: Find your North Carolina sample ballot

A screenshot of the N.C. State Board of Elections home page. To begin the navigation to a sample ballot, first look up the voter.
NCSBE
A screenshot of the N.C. State Board of Elections home page. To begin the navigation to a sample ballot, first look up the voter.

Note: This guide was first published in October of 2024. It has been updated for the 2025 election.


In presidential election years, most people know the names at the top of their ballots. But in so called "off-year elections" finding out which races you vote in can present a challenge. After all, races for local mayor and council don't generate nearly as much in campaign spending or garner much national media attention.

Pulling your sample ballot is one sure-fire way of knowing exactly what to expect when you walk in to the voting booth. Better yet, you can take the sample ballot with you, so that you can then just match up exactly the votes you've already decided on.

But where to find that sample ballot? Below is a step by step process, with screen shots, to get you quickly and easily to your own sample ballot..

Start by going to www.ncsbe.gov and clicking on the "Voter Search" icon, circled in red in the screenshot below.

A screenshot of the N.C. State Board of Elections home page. To begin the navigation to a sample ballot, first look up the voter.
NCSBE
A screenshot of the N.C. State Board of Elections home page. To begin the navigation to a sample ballot, first look up the voter.

On the search page, enter in your first and last name. The other fields are optional, but can help narrow the search if you have a common name.

Enter in the first and last name of the voter for which you want a sample ballot. If you have common name, entering a middle name, birthdate, and county of residence will help narrow the search.
NCSBE
Enter in the first and last name of the voter for which you want a sample ballot. If you have common name, entering a middle name, birthdate, and county of residence will help narrow the search.

After filling in the name, click search and then click on your name.

When you see the voter for which you would like a sample ballot, just click on that name
NCSBE
When you see the voter for which you would like a sample ballot, just click on that name

Your is a hot link, which means you can simply click on it to pull up information. The following page includes a lot of information about you and you can confirm that you are registered properly. To find your sample ballot, scroll down a bit until you see the "Sample Ballot" section.

This page will include a lot of information about the voter. Scroll down until the sample ballot section appears.
NCSBE
This page will include a lot of information about the voter. Scroll down until the sample ballot section appears.

Again, this is a hot link, so simply click on that ballot, and it will pull up a PDF file of your sample ballot. Except for the red "SAMPLE BALLOT" writing around the outside, this is what your ballot will look like in the voter booth.

A sample ballot for a voter in Durham
N.C. State Board of Elections
A sample ballot for a voter in Durham

You may print this ballot out and use it as a reference guide. However it's important to note that this can not be used as your official ballot with which to vote. You may use this as a reference guide in the voting booth, but do not try to use this sample ballot as the actual ballot you vote with. You will still have to fill out the bubbles of your official ballot in order to cast your vote.

Triangle Elections 2025

    Voters across the Triangle will go to the polls this fall to vote for local leaders. City of Durham is the only Triangle-area municipality that holds a primary in October. Here are some important dates:

  • September 18 - October 4: Durham Mayor and City Council primary early voting begins
  • October 7: Durham Mayor and City Council primary Election Day
  • October 16 - November 1: Early voting for general election in 500 North Carolina municipalities
  • November 4: Election Day

Municipalities holding elections include

Jason deBruyn is WUNC's Supervising Editor for Digital News, a position he took in 2024. He has been in the WUNC newsroom since 2016 as a reporter.