CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — Early voting in North Carolina begins Thursday for the presidential primary elections. Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
Voters can choose any early voting site to cast their ballot, but they must use their assigned precinct on Election Day, which is March 5.
This year, there are a few changes voters should be aware of when preparing to cast their votes.
The first is that absentee ballots must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Night. The three-day grace period for ballots postmarked by Election Day no longer applies.
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Voters will also be required to show ID, just as they were in the municipal elections in Fall 2023.
Officials set May 6 as the day for a trial for a lawsuit challenging the state’s voter ID law. The outcome of that trial could impact whether voters need to show identification for the general election this fall.
If a voter does not have an ID, they can still cast a provisional ballot and fill out a form with their reasoning for not having an ID card. It will be up to the local board of election officials to determine whether the reasoning is valid for an accepted provisional ballot.