STEPS FOR FORMER
FELONS
If you are convicted of
a felony in
If you have completed
all parts of your sentence for a felony conviction or have been pardoned,
you are eligible to vote in
IN ADDITION TO THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW, YOU CAN ALSO
REGISTER AND VOTE ON THE SAME DAY, IN PERSON, AT A ONE-STOP VOTING SITE DURING
THE “EARLY VOTING” PERIOD BEFORE EACH ELECTION (BUT NOT ON ELECTION DAY ITSELF).
To learn about Same-Day Registration, go to:
www.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/VR/vr_SDR.html
STEP 1:
REGISTER TO VOTE
» Former convicted
felons must fill out a voter registration form even if you were registered
before your conviction. You can register at any point after completing all
parts of your sentence.
» You can register to vote by mail. Get a mail-in voter registration form
by writing or calling your
» On the form, it asks "where you now live." Use your home
address (not a post office box). A postcard confirming your registration will
be sent there.
» Mail in the completed form, with copies of any documents it requests, so
the County Board of Elections receives it at least 25 days before the election.
» The
STEP 2: VOTE
» You can vote at
the polling place listed on the card or by absentee ballot.
» For directions on
how to vote by absentee ballot, see Step 2 below under "Steps for
Misdemeanants."
For information about
voter registration, absentee ballots, or how to locate your County Board of
Elections, contact:
State
Board of Elections
(919) 733-7173
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us
STEPS FOR
MISDEMEANANTS
In North Carolina, being
convicted of committing a misdemeanor does not mean you lose your
right to vote. You can even vote while serving your sentence. Follow the steps
below so that you can vote in the next election.
STEP 1:
REGISTER TO VOTE
» If you are not already
registered to vote, you can register by using a mail-in voter registration
form. You can get one from your County Board of Elections office, a public
library, or online at www.sboe.state.nc.us.
» On the voter registration form, it asks "where you now live."
If you will be incarcerated on election day, use the prison address. Otherwise,
list the address where you will be living after completing your sentence.
» Mail the completed form to the County Board of Elections in the county
"where you live," along with a copy of a valid NC Drivers License, if you have
one, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do
not have a drivers license or a Social Security number, then you must send a copy of either (1) a current,
valid photo identification or (2) a copy of one of the following documents that
shows your name and address: a current utility bill, bank statement, govenrment
check, paycheck or other government document.
» The County Board must receive your form at least 25 days before the
election.
» The County Board will send a postcard to the address you gave, telling
you which precinct you will vote in and where you can go to vote (your
"polling place").
STEP 2: VOTE
» If you are able,
you can vote in person at your assigned polling
place or at a One-Stop
Polling Site. You may also vote using an absentee ballot. If you will be
incarcerated on election day, you can still vote by mail using an absentee ballot.
» You can register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the same
time. If you do so, be sure that your request is mailed early enough to arrive
at the
» To vote by absentee ballot, you must send a signed written request to
the County Board of Elections during a period that begins as soon as you
register and ends at 5 p.m. on the Tuesday a week before election day. An
exception to that rule is offered to a sick or disabled person, who can request
an absentee ballot up to
» If the
For more information,
contact:
Democracy
1821 Green Street
(919) 286-6000
National Association for
the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
(919) 682-4700 or toll-free 866-626-2227