Absentee-by-mail voting is fairly self-explanatory. A voter fills out a request form for an absentee ballot, then mails it to their county board of election. The BOE will process the form and mail the voter a ballot, which the voter should complete, have witnessed, and mail back in.

Any registered North Carolina voter may request an absentee ballot by mail. No excuse is needed to vote by absentee. To request an absentee ballot, complete the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. The Absentee Ballot Request Form may only be signed by the voter or a voter’s near relative or legal guardian. According to the law, a "near relative" can be any of the following: a spouse, a sibling, a parent, a grandparent, a child, a grandchild, a mother-in-law, a father-in-law, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, a stepparent, or a stepchild of the voter.

A completed Absentee Ballot Request Form may be scanned and emailed, faxed, or mailed to the Dare County Board of Elections. If you are a registered voter in Dare County,  submit the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form to the Dare County Board of Elections Office no later than 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the date of the election. This form may be mailed, faxed, emailed, or delivered in person. The status of your absentee request may also be checked on the North Carolina Board of Elections website.