Can I still vote if I show up as an ‘inactive’ voter in NC? Here’s what to know
Early voting has started in North Carolina, and elections officials already reported record-breaking voter turnout.
More than 353,000 people turned up to the polls on the first day of early voting, which was Thursday, Oct. 17, The News & Observer previously reported. That surpassed the record set in 2020 by about 4,500 votes.
There’s still time to vote ahead of Election Day. Early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 2.
But to vote, you’ll need to be registered. You can check your voter registration status online.
If you find that you are considered an “inactive” voter, don’t worry. You can still vote.
What does an inactive voter status mean?
An inactive voter is still registered, but they will be asked to verify their address (and update it, if necessary) when they appear to vote.
No documentation is required to prove residency.
How do you become an inactive voter?
If a county board of elections has not had any contact with a voter for two federal election cycles (four years), and a person hasn’t voted during that time, the voter will be sent a forwardable address confirmation mailing, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.
The voter has to return the confirmation mailing within 30 days, and if it’s not returned, or if the mailing is returned by the U.S. Postal Service as undeliverable, then the voter’s record is marked inactive.
If a county board of elections does not have any contact with an inactive voter for two more federal election cycles, then the voter is removed from the rolls. Once that happens, the voter needs to register again to vote.
This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Can I still vote if I show up as an ‘inactive’ voter in NC? Here’s what to know."
