Early voting for the 2026 midterm elections is underway in North Carolina.
On the ballot are races for U.S. Senate and House, every seat in the North Carolina General Assembly, one state Supreme Court seat and three Court of Appeals seats, among other contests.
But voters may want to brush up on some of the rules before heading to the polls. WFAE’s Nick de la Canal spoke with Jennifer Rubin, president of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of North Carolina, about what voters need to know.
What’s changed for absentee voting?
One of the biggest changes this year involves the deadline for absentee ballots.
Completed absentee ballots must now be received by a voter’s county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. The previous grace period for ballots arriving after Election Day is no longer in effect.
Rubin also urged voters to carefully follow the instructions included with their absentee ballots, including requirements involving envelopes, witnesses and photo identification.
“The clear message for voters who are using vote by mail is to follow the instructions very carefully, especially about those pesky envelopes," Rubin said. "Seal all the envelopes, the inner envelopes, the outer envelope.”
Absentee voters generally must have either two witnesses or a notary certify their ballots and include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID. Voters who cannot provide a copy of an ID may use a photo ID exception form.
Can I still register to vote during early voting?
Yes!
The regular registration deadline passed Oct. 9, but eligible voters who missed it can still register and cast a ballot at an early voting site through Oct. 31.
That can be useful for people who recently moved to North Carolina, moved to a new address or otherwise need to register or update their information.
Same-day registrants need to provide proof of where they live and show acceptable photo ID when they vote. Proof of residence can include documents such as a utility bill or bank statement showing the voter’s current address.
Where can I vote early?
During early voting, voters can cast ballots at any early voting site within their counties. That differs from Election Day, when voters generally must go to their assigned precinct.
Early voting continues through 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
What do voters need to know about photo ID?
North Carolina voters are required to show an acceptable photo ID when voting in person.
Rubin cited commonly used forms of identification such as a North Carolina driver’s license, passport or state-issued ID.
But forgetting an ID does not necessarily mean someone cannot vote.
“If you don't have an ID at all, you can still use that voter ID exception form,” Rubin said.
Voters who cannot show ID at the polls may cast a provisional ballot and either qualify for an ID exception or provide acceptable identification to their county board of elections by noon on the fifth business day after Election Day.
What are the three constitutional amendments?
North Carolina voters will also decide whether to approve three amendments to the state constitution.
Photo ID
One proposed amendment would revise the constitution’s voter ID language. The state constitution already requires photo identification before in-person voting, but the proposed amendment would change that language to explicitly apply the requirement to all methods of voting.
Income tax cap
A second amendment would lower the maximum income tax rate allowed under the state constitution from 7% to 3.5%.
If approved, the 3.5% ceiling would apply to both personal and corporate income taxes beginning with the 2027 tax year.
“Our income tax rate is already scheduled to fall below that, but this amendment would cap that income tax level,” Rubin said.
Property tax limits
The third amendment would require the General Assembly to enact limits on how much local governments can increase property tax levies. The amendment itself does not specify what those limits would be; lawmakers would set them through future legislation and could provide exceptions.
“This would be an amendment that would require limits on property tax increases, and these are taxes that are collected on a local level and are used locally,” Rubin said.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. To learn more about local races, use WFAE's 2026 Voter and Election Guide.
