What You Need to Know to Vote in the 2024 Primary Election
1: Duke has an early voting site located at Duke University Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center
People who have been a resident of Durham County for at least 30 days prior to election day on March 5 are eligible to vote at Karsh Alumni Center, including Duke students, staff and faculty. The center is close to West Campus, making it an easy walk for most people working or learning on campus. There is also free parking provided directly outside of the center. The address is 2080 Duke University Road.
It’s best to vote mid-morning and mid-afternoons during the work week to avoid lines. The busiest early voting days tend to be the first and last days of early voting. Knowing your candidate choices in advance can make the voting process go more quickly. You can look up your sample ballot on the NC Board of Elections website using the Voter Search tool.
If another local site would be more convenient for you, the Durham County Board of Elections website provides information on other early voting sites in the county as well as their average wait times. If you are a resident of another county, you can also look up all county early polling locations on the state Board of Elections website.
Important: if you choose to wait until Election Day on March 5, you must vote at your assigned polling location.
Important Dates
Thursday, February 15
One-stop early voting starts. Voters may register and vote at any one-stop early voting location in their county of residence.
Tuesday, February 27
Deadline to request an absentee ballot. Requests must be received by your county board of elections office by 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 2
One-stop early voting ends at 3 p.m.
Tuesday, March 5
Election Day! Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for in-person voting. Absentee ballots must be returned to your county board of elections office by 7:30 p.m
2. You can register and vote at the same time at all early voting sites.
Did you miss the Feb. 9 deadline for regular voter registration? If so, it’s not too late to register to vote. Same-day registration and voting is available on campus at the Karsh Center, along with all other early voting locations. To register to vote at an early voting site you must be eligible to vote and provide proof of residency, and will be required to fill out a North Carolina Voter Registration Application.
Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility and provide proof of where they live. A voter attests to their eligibility by completing and signing the North Carolina voter registration application (available in English or Spanish). The voter must prove their residence by showing any of the following documents with their current name and address:
- North Carolina driver’s license.
- Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, provided that the card includes the voter’s current name and address.
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
- A current college/university photo identification card paired with proof of campus habitation. Duke students living on campus only need to show their Duke student ID card – no additional documentation is required. Off-campus students can present a Duke-issued document with your name and current address and their Duke student ID card. For additional guidance on acceptable proof of residence for college students, visit Registering as a College Student: During Early Voting.
During early voting you may also update your name and address within the same county, if needed. You will not be able to register to vote or change your voter registration on Election Day. For more information, review these complete voter registration rules in North Carolina or same-day registration guidelines.
3. You must provide a valid form of photo identification to vote.
North Carolina voters are now required to provide photo identification when voting in-person or by absentee ballot. Acceptable forms of ID include any of the following that is unexpired, or expired for one year or less:
- North Carolina driver’s license
- State ID from the NCDMV (also called “non-operator ID”)
- Driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia or U.S. territory (only if voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election)
- U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card
- North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections
- College or university student ID approved by the State Board of Elections
- State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the State Board of Elections
The following IDs are also acceptable, regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date:
- Military or veterans ID card issued by the U.S. government
- Tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized by the State or federal government
- ID card issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program
The State Board of Elections approved Duke University’s student voter ID card as a valid form of identification. The Duke student voter ID card is a physical card, separate from the electronic or physical DukeCard, and will be provided to Duke students for free upon request. Students who wish to receive a Duke Student Voter ID Card can request a card by filling out this form.
If a voter is unable to show photo ID when voting they can fill out an ID Exception Form and vote with a provisional ballot, or they can vote with a provisional ballot and return to their county board of elections office with an approved form of photo ID before the county canvass.
4. You can still vote by absentee ballot — and have the option of dropping your ballot off at an early voting site.
If you have already requested an absentee ballot, you may drop it off at any early voting site in person, either for yourself or a close relative. If you do not drop your absentee ballot off at an early voting site, you can return it to your local board of elections or a designated drop-off site by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Remember that you must return your absentee ballot in the county in which you are registered to vote. You can also mail or deliver your ballot via UPS, FedEx or DHL, as long as it’s delivered by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
It’s also not too late to request an absentee ballot. You have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, to request an absentee ballot. You can easily fill out an absentee ballot request form online. When filling out your absentee ballot, one notary public or two witnesses must be in your presence when you mark your absentee ballot. They should only observe you marking your ballot, not how you vote.
Voters must also include a photocopy of an acceptable ID when voting by mail. Check to make sure your absentee ballot was received by using Ballottrax, which is an absentee ballot tracking site operated by the State Board of Elections.
Note: Even if you have already requested an absentee ballot, you can still opt to vote in-person during early voting or on election day so long as you have not already voted by absentee ballot. In addition, if your absentee ballot is rejected for any reason, you can go ahead and vote in-person instead. Get more information on absentee voting in North Carolina on the Board of Elections website.