Absentee Voting

Any registered voter in New Hanover County may vote by absentee ballot by contacting our office.  No excuse is needed to vote absentee.

Requesting a Ballot by Mail

If you choose to vote absentee by mail you must submit a written request to our office.  Your request needs to contain the following information:
- Your name as you are registered
- Your date of birth
- Your address as registered
- Your phone number and/or email address
- An address to which you want your ballot mailed, if different from your registered address
- YOUR SIGNATURE!

Request on Behalf of a Near Relative

A voter's "near relative" or verificable legal guardian may request, on behalf of the voter, that a ballot be mailed to that voter.  NC law defines "near relative" as the following:
- Spouse
- Sibling (brother or sister)
- Parent
- Grandparent/Grandchild
- Child
- Mother/Father-in-law or Daughter/Son-in-law

Absentee Voting Deadlines

All requests must be received by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election.

All ballots must be received in the board of elections office by 5 p.m. the day before the election.

One-Stop Voting

If you choose to vote by the One-Stop absentee method (also known as "early voting"), you simply appear in person at one of the One-Stop voting locations.  One-Stop begins on the third thursday before an election and ends on the Saturday before the election.  One-Stop voting allows voters an opportunity to vote when it best suits individual schedules.

At the voting location, you will vote much you would on election day.  The difference is, you will be required to complete and sign an absentee request application prior to voting.  Afterwards, you will be directed to the voting machine to cast your ballot.

Once you have voted, you simply leave the location knowing that your ballot has been cast and there will be no rush on election day or negative impact from unforeseen circumstances.