Absentee Voting

Voter Photo ID Update

Current Status: Photo ID Required for Voting

Voters will be asked to show a photo ID when voting in North Carolina.

Voters who vote by mail must include a photocopy of an acceptable ID inside the “photo ID envelope” that comes with their ballot. Or they may complete an ID Exception Form with the absentee ballot return envelope.

Most voters will simply show their driver’s license, but many other types of ID will be accepted. For a list of acceptable photo IDs, click the following link to the NC State Board of Elections’ website: Voter ID.

Voters without a photo ID can get a No Fee ID Card from the NCDMV. Voters can also get a free voter ID card from the county board of elections office. Contact the Jones County Board of Elections Office at (252) 448-3921 for more information.

For more information about Voter ID in North Carolina, visit the NC State Board of Elections Voter ID website.

To request an absentee ballot, a person must be a registered voter in their North Carolina County of residence. If not registered to vote in the proper county, a person must submit a voter registration application along with the 2026 NC Absentee Ballot Request Form. The deadline to register to vote is 25 days before the date of the election.

Registered voters may request a ballot through the new online Absentee Request Portal on the NC State Board of Elections website or fill out the 2026 NC State Absentee Request Form. For more information about how to vote absentee-by-mail, visit the NC State Board of Elections website.

Who May Request an Absentee Ballot?

Either the voter or the voter’s near relative or qualified legal guardian may request an absentee ballot. A “near relative” is defined as the voter’s spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild.

If a registered voter is a patient in any hospital, clinic, nursing home, or rest home, it is unlawful for any owner, manager, director, employee, or other person, other than the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian, to request an absentee ballot on behalf of the voter, unless the absentee voter is disabled. A disabled absentee voter may receive assistance from any person they choose.

Completing the Absentee Ballot Request Form

The voter’s full name, residential address, date of birth, and identification number must be provided on this form. This information will be used to confirm your voter registration. In addition, this form must be signed by the voter or the voter’s near relative or qualified legal guardian. The absentee ballot request form may also serve as a voter change form; however, changes in voter registration may only be made by the voter.

Proof of Identification

If the voter’s NC driver’s license number, NC DMV-issued identification card number, or last four digits of their social security number is not provided, a copy of one of the following must be provided along with the request form:

• A current and valid photo identification
• One of the following documents that shows the name and residential address of the voter:  a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government documents 

Absentee Ballot Availability

• 45 days before the date of the statewide primary election
• 60 days before the date of a statewide general election
• 30 days before the date of municipal elections

Track your absentee-by-mail ballot through the mail: Once you have requested your absentee ballot, you can track its status from printed to accepted by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax.

Civilian voters may return completed absentee request forms by mail or deliver in person to the county board of elections office.

Completed absentee request forms may only be delivered in person to the county board of elections by one of the following:

1. The voter
2. The voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian
3. U.S. Postal Service or designated delivery service authorized pursuant to 26 USC. § 7502(f).
4. Forms returned by any other person will not be processed

Voters may submit their absentee request online using the new NC Absentee Ballot Request Portal on the NC State Board of Elections website.

A signed and completed State Absentee Ballot Request Form must be received by the county board of elections office no later than 5 pm on the Tuesday prior to the date of the election for which the ballot is being requested.

Requests that are received after the absentee request deadline will not be deemed timely, regardless of any postmark date.

Requests forms that are delivered by the deadline to the State Board will be considered timely. To ensure that county boards of elections can promptly process voters’ absentee requests, we strongly recommend that forms be submitted to the Jones County Board of Elections.

Two Ways to Return Your Ballot:

1. Mail your ballot:

Include correct postage on your ballot return envelope. The ballot must be received by the County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

2. Return your ballot in-person:

• Return your ballot envelope to the Jones County Board of Elections office no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
• Return your ballot envelope to an early voting site in Carteret County during the Early Voting period.

Absentee by-mail ballots returned in-person must be delivered by the voter, the voter’s near relative, a verifiable legal guardian or anyone the voter chooses due to a disability.

Absentee by-mail ballots cannot be accepted at any polling place on Election Day.

The Uniformed & Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)

The UOCAVA is a federal law requiring states to allow certain voters absent from their county of residence to have special rights that provide an expedited means for them to register and vote by mail-in absentee ballot. To qualify under the provisions of the UOCAVA in this state, a voter must be a legal resident of North Carolina.

Citizens covered by the UOCAVA include:

• Members of the active or reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force of the United States who are on active duty
• Members of the Merchant Marine, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States
• Members of the National Guard or state militia unit who are on activated status
• Spouses or dependents of uniformed service members
• U.S. citizens residing outside the United States

UOCAVA FORMS

UOCAVA voters should use one of the following forms to register and/or request an absentee ballot:  Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or Federal Write-In Ballot (FWAB).

A military-overseas voter may request an absentee ballot using only one of the forms listed above, the FPCA or the FWAB, not both. Generally speaking, the FWAB serves as a backup to the FPCA. For most voters, the FPCA is the best option.

FWAB users should reference the UOCAVA Election Notice for a list of candidates: UOCAVA Notice of the 2026 Primary.

Previously registered UOCAVA voters may also use the State Absentee Ballot Request Form to request an absentee ballot. Registered voters may request a ballot through the new online Absentee Request Portal on the NC State Board of Elections website.

For more information on absentee voting for UOCAVA voters, visit the NC State Board of Elections’ Military and Overseas Voting website.

Video: How to vote absentee when you’re in the military