Elections
The Catawba County Board of Elections
is committed to efficiently conducting fair, honest, and impartial elections so that all qualified Catawba County citizens may exercise their right to vote.
The office conducts local elections, operates voting sites, maintains voter registration lists and handles numerous aspects of election administration. The Catawba County Board of Elections works in conjunction with the State Board of Elections office to ensure that elections are conducted lawfully and fairly.
Sample Ballots
Sample Ballots are available. To view your ballot:
- Search for your name using the State Board Voter Lookup tool.
- When you find your record in the results list, click on it to open your record.
- Scroll down the list to find Your Sample Ballot and click on the ballot style listed to view a PDF of your ballot.
November 2024 Absentee Ballots
Absentee Ballot Portal: Request Online - Printable Absentee Request [Spanish Version]
- Ballots will be mailed out starting
Friday, Sept 6. Tuesday, Sept 24Because of litigation in the courts, ballot availability was delayed.
- Deadline to request a ballot: Tuesday, Oct 29 (must be registered to vote by Oct 11th)
Photo ID Notice - Voters will be asked to present a valid photo identification when voting in person.
You may use your unexpired NC Driver's License (or expired less than 1 year), DMV issued State ID or non-driver ID, US Passport, US Military or veterans ID card, or NC Voter Photo ID, etc. Any registered voter may obtain a free NC Voter Photo ID card at the Board of Elections Office up until the Friday before the election (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm). To satisfy the Photo ID law, the only information that poll workers will consider are the photo and the name on the ID presented.
Note: A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptable Photo ID if it expired AFTER their 65th birthday.
Deadline for returning Absentee-by-mail Ballots
Beginning 2024, absentee-by-mail ballots must be recieved in the Board of Elections office by 7:30pm Election Day in order to be counted.
Photo ID is required for voting
- For more information: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voter-ID
- Any NC resident 17 or older may get a DMV non-driver identification card for free. (Don't be confused by the $14 nonoperator ID card on the DMV website. The No-Fee ID needed for voting is free and you don't have to explain to them it is for voting purposes.) If you have a NC Drivers License, you do not need the non-driver ID to vote--an unexpired NCDL will be sufficient. More info on State Board website.
- Voter Photo ID Cards are available to registered voters at the Board of Elections office.
Voter Eligibility for People Serving Felony Sentences
- Per order of the North Carolina Supreme Court in April 2023, North Carolinians convicted of felonies must complete their sentences – including any prison time and any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole – before they regain their right to vote. Click here for more information from the State Board of Elections website.
County and Municipal School Boards in Catawba County are Partisan
- For more information see Session Law 2023-32 6/08/2023
- Newton-Conover Schools and Hickory Public Schools elections move to even-numbered years
- School Board seats expiring 2023 will serve an extra year until December 2024 board meeting
- Candidate Filing begins noon, Dec 4th, 2023--potential candidates wishing to make party changes must do so 90 days before the day of filing
- Unaffiliated Candidates may appear on the November General Election ballot by petition. The petition requires signatures of 4% of the registered voters in the district for which they are running. The deadline to submit names for the petition is March 5th (date of the primary election). For more information: https://www.ncsbe.gov/candidates/petitions/unaffiliated-candidate-petitions
Voter Registration
Check Your Registration verify registration information. Is your Name/Address correct?
BOOKS CLOSE October 11, 2024: the deadline to register for the November 5th Presidential Election. Citizens not registered by this deadline will be unable to vote by mail or vote in-person on election day. An unregistered voter may register and vote at the same time ONLY during Early Voting. [Early Voting Schedule]
Register to Vote* for new voters and anyone moving to a different county the NC DMV website is the preferred way to register
Update Registration* use for changes to: name, address, mailing address, party affiliation [the NC DMV Portal is the preferred way to make changes]. The deadline to change your voter registration for the November 2024 election is October 11th.
*If you are not a NC DMV customer or do not wish to register online, print and sign a Voter Registration Form [Spanish Version]
State Board Link: Choosing your party affiliation.
See VIDEO on Registering to Vote in NC
- Qualifications to register - Follow this link
- New voters and new residents to the county (if not using the DMV Portal) are required to submit a hard copy of an original signed Voter Registration Form.
Mail signed registrations to: Board of Elections, PO Box 132, Newton, NC 28658 - Current registered voters may submit changes using the DMV Portal or by email, fax or mail. Printed forms must include image of actual signature (computer fonts are not acceptable).
- Felons - Latest updates for Registering as a Person in the Criminal Justice System
When registering as a voter (or updating your registration), you may choose to associate with one of the following political parties recognized by the State of North Carolina:
- DEM - Democratic Party
- REP - Republican Party
- CST - Constitution Party (Added July 2024) [Choose "Other" if Constitution is not on the registration form]
- GRE - Green Party
- LIB - Libertarian Party
- NLB - No Labels Party (Added Aug 2023)
- WTP - We The People (Added July 2024) [Choose "Other" if Constitution is not on the registration form]
You may also choose to be Unaffiliated (UNA). During a partisan primary, unaffiliated voters may vote by choosing one party's ballot from what is available for their jurisdiction. If there is a runoff election, the unaffiliated voter will be given the same party's ballot chosen in the primary.
2024 Elections
Offices up for Election |
Nov Election Candidates (detailed list) Note: Presidential candidates will be listed after conclusion of National Conventions (~Aug 22, 2024) |
View your sample ballot via the State Board Voter Lookup tool |
Campaign Finance Reports for Local Candidates
Campaign Finance Reports - Local candidate campaigns. Includes candidate filing forms (choose 2024)
EARLY VOTING
2024 Presidential Election - Tuesday, November 5th
Catawba County Eligible Voters |
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Early Voting | 5 Locations:
Hours of Operation:
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Election Day |
You are required to vote at your designated polling location based on your residence. |
ABSENTEE BY MAIL
Absentee Ballot Portal - This portal is the preferred way to request your absentee ballots for upcoming elections.
Nov 5 Presidential Election: Voted Absentee-by-Mail ballots may be brought to the Board of Elections Office up until 7:30pm, Tuesday, Nov 5. Only the voter, or a voter's near relative may return a voted ballot in person. The ballot envelope must be signed by voter and two witnesses (or one notary) and must include a copy of a Photo ID (or a signed Photo ID Exception Form).
Returned voted ballots received by the office after 7:30pm on Election Day will not be timely and will not be counted.
Requests for the November 5th 2024 election are being accepted. [Online Request Portal] [Printable PDF] [Spanish Version]
ELECTION DAY
2024 Presidential Election - Nov 5th, 2024 Voting
On election day (Tuesday, Nov 5th) you are required by law to vote at YOUR designated polling location.
Search for your voting record if you are unsure of your designated precinct: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/
NOTES:
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2025 Municipal Elections
- Candiate Filing for the 2025 municpal elections: 8am, July 7, 2025 - noon, July 18, 2025
- Candidate Requirements
- More information on becoming a candidate
- Filing Fee (Cash or Check. Cards not accepted):
- City of Hickory: $12.00
- All others: $5.00
Interested in becoming a Poll Worker?
If you would like to join our team of precinct election officials and be considered for a position as a poll worker, complete an online application or send an email. More information.
Election Official - Application | or | Email: elections@CatawbaCountyNC.gov |
Check Your Registration - Use this tool to check if you are registered. If any information needs changing, complete another voter registration form.
ONLINE REGISTRATION SERVICE
Online registration applications are available for NCDMV customers for free. This service is offered through a partnership between the NC Division of Motor Vehicles and the NC State Board of Elections.
On this site, you will be able to:
- Register to vote (Note: if you move to a new county, you must re-register)
- Update physical address
- Update mailing address
- Update party affiliation
DEADLINE: Registration applications submitted less than 25 days before an election will not be processed until after the election.
Go To NCDMV online voter registration application
If you are not an NCDMV customer, you may:
- download and print a Voter Registration Form (PDF)
- pick up a pre-printed paper form at Public Libraries or at the Board of Elections office.
Catawba County residents may mail these to: Board of Elections, PO Box 132, Newton, NC 28658
(multiple registrations may be enclosed in the same envelope)
If you received a Voter Card (or other type of mail from us) for someone that does not live at that address, please write on the mailing: "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS," and put a line through the barcode if there is one below the address. Place back in your mailbox for the postal service to return to us.
No postage is necessary.
You may later receive another card from us for this person; please return it, also. Once we receive two returned voter cards, the voter's status will be either "denied" or "inactive" (if inactive, they will have to verbally verify their address if they come to vote). By law, in order for us to remove the voter from your address, we need their signature, or notification from another county or state that they have registered to vote elsewhere. A person may remove themselves by completing a Request to Cancel Voter Registration.
Is the person deceased? We need a signed Notice of Deceased Voter form completed by a near relative in order to remove their name.
Thank you for helping us keep the registration rolls accurate.
Photo ID RequirementsCurrent Status: Photo ID is Required for Voting.
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The General Assembly of North Carolina passed Senate Bill 315 in August of 2011 that permits campaign signs in the right-of-way. Signs are permitted during the period beginning on the 30th day before the beginning date of Early Voting and ending the 10th day after the primary or election day.
Note: a city ordinance may prohibit or regulate placement of political signs on streets within the corporate limits.
First day in which signs may be placed in right-of-way:
- 2024 Presidential Election - September 17th (Early Voting begins October 17th)
Sign Placement – The permittee must obtain the permission of any property owner of a residence, business, or religious institution fronting the right-of-way where a sign would be erected. Signs must be placed in accordance with the following -- per NCGS §136-32(d):
- No sign shall be permitted in the right-of-way of a fully controlled access highway.
- No sign shall be closer than three feet from the edge of the pavement of the road.
- No sign shall obscure motorist visibility at an intersection.
- No sign shall be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement of the road.
- No sign shall be larger than 864 square inches.
- No sign shall obscure or replace another sign.
The N.C. Department of Transportation has the authority to remove any signs that violate these rules. If anyone else removes or vandalizes a sign, they could be subject to a Class 3 misdemeanor citation from law enforcement.
NC DOT Contact Information - Please direct all complaints to the local NCDOT County Maintenance Office. NCDOT's maintenance field employees assist in removing signs that are illegally placed within the state highway right-of-way. Citizens who do not want to use the online portal can call the main NCDOT number at 1-877-368-4968 (1-877-DOT-4YOU).
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
UOCAVA Election Notice - November 2024
FVAP.gov | Voting assistance for Service members, their families and overseas citizens
- Military and Overseas voters wishing to vote must submit a new application each calendar year
- For more information, visit FVAP.gov or call 1-800-438-VOTE (8683) Mon-Fri 7:30am-4pm EST