The 2024 general election in North Carolina officially kicks off today as absentee ballots are sent to military personnel and citizens living overseas.
This marks the official start of voting, following a court ruling two weeks ago requiring the reprinting of 2.9 million ballots. With the help of county boards and printing vendors, officials met the federal deadline to send ballots to voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
State Board staff ensured that all 2,347 unique ballot styles are now available through the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal. This portal allows registered voters, including military and overseas citizens, to request and return their absentee ballots electronically. The general mailing of absentee ballots for other voters will begin on September 24, with ballots sent via U.S. Postal Service. Voters should expect a few days’ delay in receiving their ballots after they are mailed.
Due to legal rulings, election officials had to reprint ballots without the We The People party line, which included Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan as candidates. Despite this setback, election officials worked efficiently to meet the deadlines, ensuring that North Carolina voters can begin absentee voting on time. The State Board encourages voters to request and return absentee ballots early to avoid delays and ensure their votes are counted.
As of yesterday morning, there have been 193,700 voters that requested absentee ballots, including nearly 16,000 military and overseas voters, according to the NCSBE.
