Wake County: In-person early voting for the Nov. 3 election is underway through Oct. 31

In-person early voting in Wake County is underway and runs through 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

The period began Thursday, Oct. 15, at 8 a.m., according to the Wake County Board of Elections and the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Wake County's unofficial early voting dashboard, last refreshed at 6:37 p.m. Sunday, listed 65,984 in-person ballots so far. A site table on the same file adds to 65,985. The county marked those figures unofficial. Day-by-day in-person totals on that file were 21,739 on Thursday, 22,189 on Friday, 12,197 on Saturday and 9,860 on Sunday.

WRAL, using statewide numbers through Friday, reported 398,581 early votes across North Carolina by the end of that day, and 437,217 when mail ballots were included. It put Wake County first in the state at 50,694 when early votes and mail ballots were combined. That Friday Wake figure is not the same count as the county's in-person-only dashboard.

Any eligible Wake County voter may use any of the county's 18 early voting sites. That is different from Election Day, when registered voters go to their assigned polling place.

This is not an elections office. For official questions, use the county or state board contacts below.

Hours in Wake County

Wake County's election page and its early voting flyer list the same hours at every site:

• Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sundays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 15, follows the weekday schedule and opens at 8 a.m. The last day, Saturday, Oct. 31, ends at 3 p.m.

The state board says the first day and the last couple of days are often the busiest.

Wake County sites

The county published this list. We are using the site names and towns. Street numbers are on the county page and the flyer.

• Abbotts Creek Community Center, Raleigh
• Avery Street Recreation Center, Garner
• Beech Bluff County Park, Willow Spring
• Cary Senior Center, Cary
• Herbert C. Young Community Center, Cary
• Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse, Fuquay-Varina
• John Chavis Memorial Park Community Center, Raleigh
• John M. Brown Community Center, Apex
• Joyner Park Community Center, Wake Forest
• Knightdale Recreation Center, Knightdale
• Lake Lynn Community Center, Raleigh
• Laurel Hills Community Center, Raleigh
• NCSU Western Boulevard Business Services, Raleigh
• Optimist Park Community Center, Raleigh
• W.E. Hunt Recreation Center, Holly Springs
• Wake County Commons Building, Raleigh
• Wake Tech South Campus, Building T, Raleigh
• Wendell Community Center, Wendell

Curbside voting is available at Wake sites for voters who cannot go inside because of age or a physical disability, the county says.

If you still need to register

The regular registration deadline was 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. The state board says people who missed it may still register and vote during early voting at a site in their county.

Those same-day registrants have to attest to their eligibility, including U.S. citizenship, show proof of where they live, and show an acceptable photo ID. The state board lists a driver license or another government document, a paycheck, a utility bill, or a bank statement with the person's current name and address as examples of residency proof.

Voters may update a name or address within the same county when they check in. Wake County says you may not change party affiliation during early voting.

Same-day registration is not available for most voters on Election Day, the state board says.

Photo ID

Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they check in, the state board says. Most people show a North Carolina driver license. The board's voter ID page lists other accepted IDs, including a state non-operator ID, a U.S. passport or passport card, a free voter photo ID from a county board, and certain student, employee, military, veteran and tribal IDs.

County boards can issue a free voter photo ID through the end of early voting.

If you have an accepted ID but did not bring it, the state board's Oct. 9 release says you can go get it and come back, or vote a provisional ballot and bring an accepted ID to the county elections office by noon Tuesday, Nov. 10. You may also fill out a photo ID exception form at the site. Details are on the state board's voter ID page.

North Carolina law does not allow people to photograph or record a voted ballot, the state board says.

Nearby counties

Durham County's Board of Elections says early voting there also starts Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Durham voters may use any Durham early voting site. Hours and the site list are on the Durham elections page.

Johnston County's Board of Elections says early voting there runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31. Its page lists weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31, at any of five sites.

Check before you go

Voters can look up their registration and a sample ballot through the state's voter search tool. Wake County's elections office number is 919-404-4040.

We will update this story if the county changes a site or its hours.