Absentee voting is comprised of two methods by which registered voters may cast ballots other than the traditional method of appearing in person and casting a ballot on the day of the election. These methods are as follows:

1. Absentee by Mail
   
2. Absentee One-Stop/Early Voting

1. Valid types of written requests:
   
   A written request for an absentee ballot as required by G.S. 163-230.1 is valid only if it is written entirely by the requester personally, or is on a form generated by the county board of elections and signed by the requester. The county board of elections shall issue a request form only to the voter seeking to vote by absentee ballot or to a person authorized by G.S 163-230.1 (a near relative) to make a request for the voter. If a requester, due to disability or illiteracy, is unable to complete a written request, that requester may receive assistance in writing that request from an individual of that requester's choice.
   
2. Invalid types of written requests:
   A request is not valid if it does not comply with subsection (1) above. If a county board of elections receives a request for an absentee ballot that does not comply with subsection (1), the board shall not issue an application and ballot under G.S. 163-230.1.
   
3. A near relative, as defined by law, is a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, or verifiable legal guardian.
   
4. If the voter is qualified, an application and ballot(s) will be mailed to the voter after the receipt of the written request.
   
5. The voted ballot(s) must be received in the Board of Elections office by 5:00 pm on the day before the election in order to be counted.
   
6. No absentee applications will be issued or mailed after 5:00 pm on Tuesday before the election.

1. Absentee one-stop voting begins the third Thursday before each election and continues until 1:00 pm on the last Saturday before that election. See schedule and locations.
   
   • Primary Election: One Stop Voting
   
   During this time period, the voter shall appear in person, state his or her name, residence address and sign the application to vote absentee. The voter may then cast their vote.
   
   
2. All properly registered voters in Catawba County are eligible to vote.

The deadline for persons to register in order to be eligible to vote in an election is 5:00 pm on the twenty-fifth day before the election, if submitted in person. If registering by mail, it must be postmarked at least 25 days before the election. A prospective voter must be registered in the county in which he/she resides and must vote in the same county.