Lake Norman voters face Friday registration deadline for Nov. 3 election

Lake Norman-area residents who want to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, must register by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9.

The deadline applies to anyone casting a ballot by mail or in person on Election Day, according to the NC State Board of Elections. Residents who miss it still have an option: same-day registration is available at any early voting site in Mecklenburg County during the early voting period, which runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31.

Same-day registrants must prove where they live, attest to U.S. citizenship and show a qualifying photo ID.

Sam Hayes, executive director of the NC State Board of Elections, said in an Oct. 2 press release that eligible individuals who miss the regular deadline can still register and vote during early voting.

How to register

Residents with a North Carolina driver's license or NCDMV identification card can register online through the DMV. Paper applications must be received by a county board of elections or postmarked by 5 p.m. Oct. 9. The U.S. Postal Service has clarified that postmarks are applied when mail reaches a processing facility, not necessarily when it is dropped off. The state board recommends requesting a manual postmark at a post office retail counter for anyone mailing a form close to the deadline.

Voters can check their registration status through the NC State Board of Elections voter search tool.

Photo ID required

All North Carolina voters must show photo ID. Acceptable forms include a NC driver's license, a U.S. passport, a military or veterans ID, a college student ID approved by the state board, a tribal enrollment card with photo, among other forms. Voters who lack a qualifying ID can obtain a free voter photo ID card from any county board of elections. Those who arrive without one can still vote using an ID Exception Form.

Early voting site change affects Davidson

Davidson residents should note a change this year. The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections voted June 23 to use Cornelius Town Hall as an early voting site instead of Davidson Town Hall, which had served in prior elections, The Davidsonian reported. Voters in Mecklenburg County can cast ballots at any early voting site in the county regardless of home precinct.

Three constitutional amendments on the ballot

Beyond candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the NC Supreme Court and all General Assembly seats, voters will decide three proposed constitutional amendments that each require a simple majority to pass.

The voter ID amendment would enshrine photo ID requirements for all voting methods, including absentee mail-in ballots, in the state constitution. In-person voter ID is already constitutionally required under a 2018 amendment, and state law already requires it for mail-in ballots. "This would lock that into constitutional law in the state, so the legislature couldn't change its mind about voter ID in the future," Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll, told WFAE.

The income tax cap amendment would lower the constitutional ceiling on the state income tax from 7% to 3.5%. North Carolina's current flat rate is 3.99% and is already scheduled to drop to 3.49% in 2027, according to The Center Square.

The property tax amendment would give the General Assembly power to limit how much local governments can raise property tax levies. The amendment does not set a specific cap. It empowers the legislature to determine limits later, according to WUNC.