With Election Day less than a week away, 12,940 of the mail ballots Mecklenburg County sent out for the Nov. 3 election were still outstanding, according to state figures through Monday. A ballot not yet returned has to reach the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark no longer counts.
State law used to allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive up to three days later. The State Board of Elections says that is no longer the case. A mail ballot can be dropped at any Mecklenburg early voting site until 3 p.m. Saturday or at the county board's office through Election Day, but not at a polling place.
The county has accepted 8,022 of the 21,402 mail ballots it sent, up from 5,197 a week earlier. A voter whose returned ballot has a fixable problem, such as a missing signature, has until noon Tuesday, Nov. 10, to fix it; 51 Mecklenburg ballots were waiting on such a fix as of Monday. The outstanding count includes ballots waiting on a fix, and at least 1,431 from voters who have since voted in person at early voting, by a comparison of two figures in the state's own report.
Returning a mail ballot this week
- By mail: Postage is $1.98, or three Forever stamps. The ballot must be in the board's hands by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
- In person: Drop it at any Mecklenburg early voting site before early voting ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, or at the board's office at 741 Kenilworth Ave., Suite 202, by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
- Not at the polls: A mail ballot cannot be turned in at a polling place on Election Day.
- Who can carry it: Only the voter, a near relative or a legal guardian, unless the voter needs help because of a disability.
Military and overseas voters have different deadlines; the State Board's site has them.
Once a mail ballot is returned, it cannot be canceled or changed. If a returned ballot is rejected and cannot be fixed, the voter can still vote in person on Election Day, the State Board says.
What can be fixed, and the deadline to fix it
Some problems with a returned mail ballot can be fixed by the voter. The state calls this a "cure." Under the State Board's Sept. 4 directions to county boards, these can be fixed:
- The voter did not sign the envelope, or signed in the wrong place.
- No copy of a photo ID, and no ID exception form, came with the ballot.
- The copy of the photo ID is unreadable, is not an accepted type of ID, is too far past its expiration date, or shows a name that does not match the voter's record.
- The photo ID exception form is unsigned or missing required information.
A different address on the ID is not a problem.
Other problems cannot be fixed by the voter, including a missing witness name or address or an envelope that arrives open. In those cases, the directions tell the county to cancel the ballot and send the voter a new one if there is still time.
How you find out. The county board must mail a notice within one business day of finding a fixable problem, and also call or email if the voter gave a phone number or email address. You can follow your ballot from printing to acceptance through the state's BallotTrax tracking service.
How to fix it. Sign and return the form that comes with the notice. You can bring it to the county elections office, mail it, fax it or email it. A photo of your ID or of a signed exception form can be sent by email. Only you, a near relative or legal guardian, a multipartisan assistance team from the county board, or someone of your choice if you need help because of a disability can return it. A typed signature is not accepted.
The deadline. The fix must be received, not postmarked, by noon on the fifth business day after Election Day: noon on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Where Mecklenburg's mail ballots stand
The State Board of Elections publishes two files each morning during early voting. The figures below are from the files posted Tuesday, Oct. 27, which cover ballots processed through Monday.
| Mail ballots in Mecklenburg | Count | Share of ballots sent |
|---|---|---|
| Sent to voters | 21,402 | |
| Returned and accepted | 8,022 | 37.5% |
| Outstanding: not returned yet, waiting on a fix, or canceled for an in-person vote | 12,940 | 60.5% |
| Received but will not be counted | 440 | 2.1% |
Those three lines add up to the 21,402 sent. In the report dated Oct. 20, the county had accepted 5,197.
The state's ballot-by-ballot file shows that 113 of the accepted ballots were approved only after the voter fixed a problem with the envelope, and that 51 more were waiting on a fix as of Monday. The public files do not say what was wrong with any individual ballot, and they do not break down why the 440 will not be counted. The state's definition of that category covers, among other reasons, ballots that were returned after the deadline, returned unvoted, returned undeliverable, canceled or missing witness information.
In addition, the state counts 1,871 Mecklenburg mail ballots canceled because the voter chose to vote in person during early voting instead. The report does not take those out of the 21,402 sent, and it lists only 440 ballots as not counted, so at least 1,431 of the canceled ballots appear to sit inside the 12,940 outstanding. Those voters have already voted and will not send a mail ballot back. The state's ballot-by-ballot file shows 177,808 Mecklenburg voters had cast ballots in person at early voting sites through Monday.
The county board was scheduled to meet Tuesday, Oct. 27, to approve returned mail ballots and meets again Monday, Nov. 2, both at its Kenilworth Avenue office, according to its calendar.
At the polls on Nov. 3
Hours. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. can vote.
Where. On Election Day you must vote at your assigned polling place, not at any site in the county as during early voting. Mecklenburg has 195 precincts on the state's Election Day polling place list. The state's Voter Search shows yours.
Photo ID. Poll workers will ask for a photo ID. Accepted IDs include a North Carolina driver's license or DMV ID card, a U.S. passport or passport card, a county-issued voter ID card, a military or veterans ID, and approved student and government employee IDs. Most must be unexpired or expired for a year or less. A regular North Carolina driver's license that expired on or after July 1, 2025, is still accepted even if it has been expired more than a year. Voters 65 and older can use an ID that was unexpired on their 65th birthday. The address on the ID does not have to match your registration. The full list is on the State Board's voter ID page.
Everyone can vote with or without an ID. A voter without one can fill out an ID exception form, which lists accepted reasons such as a lost or stolen ID, lack of transportation, or disability, and vote a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is set aside until the county board confirms the voter's eligibility. A voter who has an ID but forgot it can vote a provisional ballot and bring the ID to the county elections office by noon Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Curbside voting. Every polling place offers curbside voting for voters who cannot go inside without physical help because of age or disability. The voter signs a form saying so and votes from the car.
Help inside. Voters who qualify can ask for assistance at the polling place.
The campaigning line. State law bars campaigning, handing out literature, posting signs or asking for votes inside the polling place or within a buffer zone that the county board sets around it. The zone runs from the entrance door and can be no larger than 50 feet and no smaller than 25. The county must set aside an area just outside the zone where campaigning is allowed, except at some privately owned sites. The State Board says intimidating any voter is a crime, and that voters who feel harassed should tell an election official right away.
The county board meets on Election Day, then reviews provisional ballots on Nov. 10 and certifies the results on Friday, Nov. 13.