Ballantyne residents must register to vote or update their address by Oct. 9 to cast a ballot in the Nov. 3 midterm election.

The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections had mailed roughly 5,000 absentee and military ballots as of Sept. 4, QC News reported. Michael Dickerson, director of the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, urged voters not to wait.

"If you're concerned, go ahead and request your ballot as soon as possible … so that if there is an issue that you have, it can be corrected," Dickerson said.

North Carolina was the first state to mail absentee ballots for the 2026 general election, starting Sept. 4, WBTV reported. Only 5% of North Carolina voters used mail-in ballots in the 2024 general election, according to the state board of elections.

Key dates

Voter registration closes at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. In-person early voting runs from Thursday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. Same-day registration is available during early voting, according to the Watauga Democrat. The absentee ballot request deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Mail-in voting rules

Any registered North Carolina voter can vote by mail without an excuse. Voters must have two witnesses or a notary sign the ballot envelope and include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID or a Photo ID Exception Form, according to WFAE.

Completed ballots must reach the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. There is no grace period. Sam Hayes, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said at a Sept. 7 press conference that voters should not take chances with timing.

Returning a ballot by mail costs $1.98, or three Forever stamps. Voters can track their ballot using the BallotTrax system. Voters who receive an absentee ballot but decide to vote in person can still cast a ballot during early voting or on Election Day and should discard the unused ballot.

The state board also approved new mail-in restrictions on Sept. 4 in a 3-2 party-line vote. The rules require county officials to disqualify ballots with unsealed envelopes and limit who can submit a ballot on someone else's behalf to close relatives or legal guardians, WBTV reported.

How to check your registration

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is running a Registration Repair Project that alerts voters whose registrations may be incomplete. Residents can verify their status and register at ncsbe.gov.

The voter registration deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 9.