NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Residents of New Hanover County interested in participating in the upcoming 2023 election will need to register to vote by Friday, October 13. Voters who miss the registration deadline but would still like to register and vote may do so during the One-Stop “Early Voting” Period beginning on Thursday, October 19.
Information about voter registration in New Hanover County is available at NHCvote.com.
During the 2023 Municipal Elections, only voters who live within the municipal boundaries for the City of Wilmington, or towns of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach or Wrightsville Beach will be eligible to vote in those elections. Voters who live in unincorporated areas of the county are not assigned a ballot during municipal elections.
Voter Photo ID Required
All voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina, starting with the 2023 elections. Along with a driver’s license, there are many other accepted photo IDs.
Anyone in need of an accepted identification card can get a free ID card from the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles or from their county board of elections office.
All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID. If a voter cannot show photo ID when voting in person, voters can still submit a ballot by filling out an ID Exception Form which will be available at the polling station.
For more information about voter photo ID, including what IDs can be accepted, click here or visit the State Board of Elections website at NCSBE.gov.
Options to vote in New Hanover County
ABSENTEE VOTING
Any registered voter in New Hanover County can request an absentee ballot by mail. No special circumstance is needed to vote by absentee ballot. Absentee ballots may be requested until 5 p.m. on October 31, 2023. Voters who plan to vote absentee by mail can submit their requests in a variety of ways, but the requests must be received by the New Hanover County Board of Elections by the deadline. Voters who are mailing their requests should allow enough time for the requests to be received by 5 p.m. on October 31. If this is the preferred method of voting, individuals are encouraged to request a ballot immediately to allow sufficient time to receive, vote, and return the ballot.
Once a ballot is complete, it can be returned by mailing it in the return envelope or by hand delivering it in the return envelope to the Board of Elections office, located at 1241 A Military Cutoff Road, Wilmington, NC 28405, or to any of the One-Stop locations during the early voting period. Additional information on absentee voting is available here or by visiting NHCvote.com.
Those interested in tracking the status of a returned ballot, the NC State Board of Elections has an online tracking tool. To check on the status of a returned absentee by mail ballot, click here or visit NorthCarolinaBallotTrax.net.
ONE-STOP VOTING
One-Stop voting (also known as “early voting”) begins on Thursday, October 19 and ends on Saturday, November 4. Early voting allows voters to cast a ballot in-person prior to Election Day at any One-Stop location, versus voting at their designated polling place on Election Day. It allows for more flexibility and typically has shorter lines than Election Day polling places.
Residents who are not registered in New Hanover County may also register to vote during the One-Stop early voting period at any of the four locations throughout the county. To use same-day registration, a person must complete a voter registration application and show an election official proof of a residential address in the county. This proof of address may consist of a current and valid photo ID or a document showing the name and current address of the applicant.
Curbside voting will also be available at all One-Stop sites for anyone unable to enter the voting location due to age, physical disability, and physical barriers encountered at the voting place.
View One-stop voting hours and a list of all four voting locations here or visit NHCvote.com.
ELECTION DAY
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, and voters who have not taken part in absentee or early voting will need to visit their assigned polling place that is specific to their voting precinct. Only precincts that contain voters who are eligible to vote during the Municipal Elections will be open. To find out where your assigned polling place is for Election Day, please click here or visit NHCvote.com.
Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Any voter in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. Curbside voting will be available at all polling places for anyone unable to enter the voting enclosure due to age, physical disability, and physical barriers encountered at the polling place.