NORTH CAROLINA
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Voters who cannot vote in person on Election Day due to their own illness or the illness of a family member can request or have a family member request an application to vote between 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election and 5 p.m. on the day of the election.
FROM THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE
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Absentee-by-mail voting is fairly self-explanatory. A voter fills out a request form for an absentee ballot, then mails it to their county board of elections. The BOE will process the form and mail the voter a ballot, which the voter should complete, have witnessed, and return by mail.
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Any registered North Carolina voter may request an absentee ballot by mail. No excuse is needed to vote by absentee. To request an absentee ballot, complete the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. The Absentee Ballot Request Form may only be signed by the voter or a voter’s near relative or legal guardian. According to the law, a "near relative" can be any of the following: spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild of the voter.
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A completed Absentee Ballot Request Form may be scanned and emailed, faxed, or mailed to the county board of elections. The contact information for the county boards of elections may be found here.
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More information is available on Civilian Absentee Voting page.
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Assistance for Voters Living in Facilities
Some voters find it necessary to vote by mail-in absentee ballot because they are elderly, limited in their mobility, or have a disability. This group of voters includes persons living at facilities such as nursing homes. Oftentimes, these voters require assistance in completing the forms or marking the ballot. The first preference, according to the law, is for the voter to receive assistance from a near relative or guardian. But some voters, particularly voters who live in facilities, may not have a near relative or guardian available to provide that assistance. It is important to know that employees of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or rest homes are prohibited by law from providing assistance with absentee voting. So, voters who live in facilities such as nursing homes or rest homes face special challenges in casting a mail-in absentee ballot. But here’s the good news: In every county, an impartial team called a “Multipartisan Assistance Team” is available to visit facilities such as nursing homes in order to provide assistance with mail-in absentee voting. Click here for more information about Multipartisan Assistance Teams.
STATE LAW
North Carolina
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163A-1308(b)
Voters who cannot vote in person on Election Day due to their own illness or the illness of a family member can request or have a family member request an application to vote between 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election and 5 p.m. on the day of the election.