Important information for voters ahead of the 2026 Statewide General Elections

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Eligible New Hanover County residents interested in participating in the upcoming 2026 Statewide General Elections will need to register by Friday, October 9. Voters who miss the registration deadline but would still like to register and cast their ballot may do so during the Early Voting Period which starts Thursday, October 15.

Information about voter registration in New Hanover County is available at NHCvote.com.

New Hanover County voters can also review sample ballots by visiting NHCvote.com.

Voter Photo ID Required 

All voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina. 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.

Voters without an acceptable form of photo ID should ask an election official about the available voting options when they present to vote. For more information about voter photo ID, including what IDs can be accepted, visit the State Board of Elections website at NCSBE.gov.

Options to vote in New Hanover County  

ABSENTEE VOTING 

Any registered voter, who is otherwise eligible to vote in the upcoming 2026 Statewide General Elections, 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 20, 2026. 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 October 20 deadline. Voters who are mailing their requests should allow enough time for the requests to be received by 5 p.m. on October 20. 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, voters must seal their voted ballot in the interior ballot container envelope before then sealing the ballot container envelope in the return envelope. Ballots can then be returned by mail or by hand delivering it in the return envelope to the Board of Elections office at 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403, or to any of the Early Voting locations during the early voting period. Absentee by mail ballots must be received by the New Hanover County Board of Elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on November 3. Voters returning their ballot by mail are strongly encouraged to mail it as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the ballot to be delivered by the deadline. Absentee ballots may only be returned in-person by the voter or the voter’s relative. Additional information on absentee voting is available by visiting NHCvote.com.

For 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, visit NorthCarolinaBallotTrax.net.

EARLY VOTING  

Early Voting begins on Thursday, October 15 and ends on Saturday, October 31. Early Voting allows voters to cast a ballot in-person at any Early Voting 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 sites. New Hanover County voters may check wait times at all Early Voting locations using the Early Voting Wait Time Tracker available at NHCvote.com.

Residents who are not registered to vote in New Hanover County can still register during the Early Voting period at any of the five locations throughout the county. To use same-day registration, a person must complete a voter registration application and provide proof of 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 Early Voting sites for anyone unable to enter the voting location due to age, physical disability, and physical barriers encountered at the voting place.  

All early voting locations will open on Thursday, October 15 at 8 a.m. marking the start of Early Voting. The final day of Early Voting will be Saturday, October 31 with polls closing at 3 p.m.  

All locations and their addresses are listed below:

For the full Early Voting Schedule and hours of operation visit the Early Voting section at NHCVote.com .

ELECTION DAY 

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, and eligible 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. All 41 precincts will be open on Election Day. To find out where your assigned polling place is for Election Day, you can use the State Board of Elections’ search tool or check out the list of polling sites at 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.

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