Wake County Board of Elections to begin mailing absentee ballots
The Wake County Board of Elections will begin mailing absentee ballots on Friday, Sept. 4, to eligible voters who requested one for the 2026 General Election.
Any registered voter in North Carolina may vote absentee by mail. Voters must request an absentee ballot before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Requests may be submitted online through the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal or by completing and returning a paper request form.
“Voters who plan to vote absentee by mail should submit their request as early as possible so they have plenty of time to receive, complete and return their ballot,” said Wake County Board of Elections Director Olivia McCall. “We encourage voters to carefully follow the instructions included with their ballot materials and contact our office if they have any questions along the way.”
Absentee voters will receive a ballot package containing instructions and the materials needed to complete and return their ballot. The North Carolina State Board of Elections has published detailed instructions on how to vote by mail, including how to use your absentee ballot package.
The voter must mark the ballot in the presence of either two witnesses or a notary public. The voter and the witnesses or notary must complete the required information on the ballot envelope.
Photo ID is required for voting by mail. Voters must place a photocopy of an acceptable form of photo identification in the clear sleeve on the ballot envelope. A voter who is unable to provide a copy of an acceptable photo ID may complete the Photo ID Exception Form included with the ballot materials.
Completed absentee ballots may be returned by mail or commercial courier service, delivered in person to the Wake County Board of Elections Office at 1200 N. New Hope Road in Raleigh, or delivered to any open Wake County early voting site during the early voting period. Absentee ballots may not be returned to an Election Day polling place. Visit WakeVotesEarly.com for a list of Wake County early voting sites for the 2026 General Election, along with early voting dates, hours and other important information.
Only the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian may generally return the ballot. A voter who needs assistance returning an absentee ballot because of a disability may select another person to provide that assistance.
Wake County voters must ensure their completed absentee ballot is received by the Wake County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Ballots received after the deadline cannot be accepted, even if they were postmarked on or before Election Day. Voters returning a ballot by mail should include the required postage and allow sufficient time for delivery. Current return postage is $1.98.
Voters may track the status of their absentee ballot through BallotTrax beginning 30 days before the election.
Visit ReadyToVote.com for more information about absentee voting and the 2026 General Election.
About the Wake County Board of Elections
The Wake County Board of Elections is responsible for conducting all elections held in the county. The Board establishes election precincts and voting sites; appoints and trains precinct officials; prepares and distributes ballots and voting equipment; certifies ballots cast in elections and investigates any voting irregularities.
The Wake County Board of Elections also maintains voter registration and voting records for more than 860,000 voters. To learn more about the Wake County Board of Elections, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X, or contact us at voter@wake.gov or 919-404-4040.
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