5 Things to Know About Early Voting in 2024
Information that will help make early voting an easy process
#1 - Duke has an early voting site located at Duke University Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center, 2080 Duke University Road.
Anyone who has been a resident of Durham County for at least 30 days prior to Election Day on Nov. 5 is eligible to vote at Karsh Alumni Center during the early voting period, 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.
Karsh and other early voting locations in Durham County will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the last Saturday of early voting (Nov. 2).
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 shows all county early voting sites as well as their average wait times. If you are a resident of another county, multiple early voting sites are available across the state.
Remember: if you choose to wait until Election Day on Nov. 5, Karsh is not a polling place and you must vote at your regular voting precinct.
#2 - You can register and vote at the same time at all early voting sites.
Did you miss the Oct. 11 deadline for regular voter registration?
If so, here’s good news: It’s not too late to register to vote. Same-day registration and voting is available on campus at Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center, along with 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 at the polls.
To show proof of residency, you must provide an identifying document with your current name and address, which could include a North Carolina driver’s license, a utility bill, or a bank statement. A full list of acceptable identifying documents can be found on the Board of Elections website. Duke students living on campus can show an approved physical Duke ID card to register to vote during early voting. Students living off campus can show a physical Duke ID card plus a Duke-issued document with their name and current address, or any of the other identifying documents listed above.
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 bring a valid form of photo identification to the polls.
North Carolina voters are required to show photo identification when voting in person or by absentee ballot. Acceptable forms of ID include any of the following:
- North Carolina driver’s license
- 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
- State ID from the NCDMV for NC residents
The DukeCard Office, in partnership with Duke Votes, will assist eligible students with obtaining a state-approved Duke ID card to vote in the upcoming November Election. The mobile DukeCard has not been approved as a valid form of photo identification.
Identification cards will be provided to students for free. Undergraduate students who never received a physical DukeCard (Sophomore Students Class of 2027) received an email with information on how to pick up their card.
Please note that pickup instructions have changed. During early voting, Sophomores can pick up their card at the Wilder Building (next to Karsh) on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After early voting ends, any remaining cards will be available at the DukeCard Office.
Any other students needing a physical DukeCard to use as a photo ID to vote can get one printed either at the Wilder Building during early voting or at the DukeCard Office on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Picking up a card will take less than five minutes. All students are required to show a government-issued ID when picking up their card.
#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, but you will have to wait in line with on-site voters to do so.
If you do not drop your absentee ballot off at an early voting site, you must return it to your county board of elections 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 received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov 5. Be sure to use the return envelope provided with your absentee ballot when you turn it in. You may notreturn your ballot to a polling place on Election Day.
It’s also not too late to request an absentee ballot. You have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 to request an absentee ballot. You can easily fill out an absentee ballot request form online. When filling out your absentee ballot, you must fill it out completely and both you and a witness willing to attest to your identity must sign the completed ballot or your ballot will be ruled invalid. Almost anyone can serve as your witness so long as they are at least 18 years old and they are not running for political office (unless they happen to be related to you.)
You can make sure your absentee ballot was received by using Ballottrax, which is an absentee ballot tracking site operated by the N.C. 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 NC on the Board of Elections website.
#5 - You must follow all polling place rules when you vote.
North Carolina law prohibits voters from taking photos or videos inside the voting enclosure — meaning no “I Voted” selfies with your ballot are allowed. You may bring your phone inside the voting booth, but you are not allowed to communicate with anyone via talk, text, email if you do. You are allowed to bring print voting guides or endorsement slates in with you and you can use an electronic device to access a slate card or candidate information so long as you do not use your device to communicate with anyone.
In addition, whether voting early or on Election Day, NC law prohibits political activity within a buffer zone that usually extends 50 feet out from the entrance to the polling place. The related law governing apparel, such as hats or t-shirts with political statements on them, is more complicated. You may enter a polling place to vote wearing political items so long as you proceed to vote in an orderly and timely manner and refrain from attempting to electioneer within the voting place. If you violate this prohibition, you will be warned and, if necessary, asked to leave the polling place. Read the NC law in full at the NC General Statues website.