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Missed the Registration Deadline? You Can Still Vote Early

Nora Webb

If the Oct. 9 voter registration deadline passed you by, don’t worry—you haven’t missed your chance! Through Saturday, Oct. 31, you can register and vote at any early voting site in your county. Same-day registration is one of the easiest ways for students to vote this fall. Here’s what you need to know.

When and where

Early voting began Thursday, Oct. 15, and ends at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. Unlike on Election Day, you aren’t limited to an assigned polling place; you can vote at any of Guilford County’s 17 early voting sites. All sites keep the same hours:

  • Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (the last day, and it closes early)

There’s no early voting site on campus this year, but two are nearby. Union Square Campus (124 E. Gate City Blvd.) is the downtown health-education building UNC Greensboro shares with NC A&T, GTCC, and Cone Health. The Guilford County Board of Elections office (301 W. Market St., Suite 108) is about a 30-minute walk or a 12-minute bus ride from campus.

Getting there

UNC Greensboro’s Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement (OLCE) is running free shuttles from the front of the Elliott University Center (EUC) to Union Square on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Tuesday, Oct. 27. Shuttles leave every hour from 9am to 4pm and hold 14 riders per trip, so sign up for a time slot ahead of time. To request a disability accommodation, contact Madison Bathke at mlbathke@uncg.edu as soon as possible.

If you can’t make either shuttle day, the Greensboro Transit Authority bus is free for UNCG students, though it takes a little setup. GTA has moved to digital fares, so drivers no longer accept a physical Spartan Card. Instead, fill out the UNCG UMO Code Request Form with your name, student ID number, and UNCG email address. Then download the Umo Mobility app (Apple, Google Play) and enter the code the university emails you. When you board, you’ll scan the QR code in the app at the fare box. Since the code arrives by email, don’t wait until you’re at the bus stop to request it!

Once you’re set up, walk from the EUC to the Route 9 stop on W. Market Street near the Gray Drive campus entrance (past Gove Student Health and Phillips-Hawkins Residence Hall), listed on TrackMyGTA as “W Market/Gray”). Catch the bus heading toward downtown and get off at W. Market/Courthouse, right at the Board of Elections office. Route 9 is scheduled to run about every 30 minutes on weekdays and less often on weekends; check TrackMyGTA for real-time arrivals.

Registering on the spot

To use same-day registration, you must have lived in Guilford County for at least 30 days before Election Day (since about Oct. 4) and bring proof of where you live.

For students, this is actually simpler than it sounds! Any UNC Greensboro document with your name and current address counts, including a screenshot of your housing assignment or student portal, and it doesn’t matter whether you live on or off campus. A North Carolina driver’s license with your current address, a utility bill, a bank statement, or a paycheck also works.

If you’re already registered in Guilford but have moved, you can update your address when you check in. If you’re registered somewhere else, you can register here instead; you can only vote in one place. Keep in mind that same-day registration is generally not available on Election Day, so if you need to register, early voting is your window.

Bring your ID

North Carolina asks voters to show photo ID, and your Spartan Card is on the State Board of Elections’ approved list through 2026. A few other things to know:

  • An out-of-state driver’s license works if you registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election, which includes anyone using same-day registration.
  • The address on your ID doesn’t have to match your registration.
  • If you don’t have an acceptable ID with you, you can still vote by filling out an ID Exception Form and casting a provisional ballot.

Mail ballots

The deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballot is 5 p.m. today, Oct. 20. If you already have a North Carolina mail ballot, you can return it to an election official at any early voting site in your county.

What’s on the ballot

Midterm ballots are longer than many people expect. Everyone in Guilford County will vote for U.S. Senate, state judges, and county offices like sheriff, plus three proposed amendments to the state constitution and a county sales tax referendum. Your U.S. House and state legislative races depend on your address, and if you live inside Greensboro city limits, which includes on campus, you’ll also see five city bond questions.

The three amendments would require a photo ID for all voters, including mail voters; cap the state income tax at 3.5 percent; and limit local property tax increases. Bond and amendment language can be dense, so it’s worth reading your ballot before you go. Enter your information in the Voter Search tool and click “Your Sample Ballot.”

If you wait until Election Day

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, but you’ll need to vote at your assigned polling place, and same-day registration won’t be available. Early voting gives you more locations, more flexibility, and, on two days, a free ride from campus.

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