State Board Releases Number of Provisional Ballots Cast in 2024 General Election

Raleigh, NC

Nov 6, 2024

Under state law, election officials must release the number of provisional ballots cast in each county in North Carolina by the day after each election. [N.C.G.S. § 163-232.2]

The PDF at the following link shows the number of provisional ballots cast in each county during the November 5, 2024, general election.

Read: Number of Provisional Ballots Cast by County for the November 5, 2024, General Election. (This chart will be updated as additional counties report their provisional ballot numbers to the State Board of Elections.)

A voter may cast a provisional ballot when their name does not appear on the voter registration rolls for the voting location or other questions arise about their eligibility to vote or to vote a particular ballot. The provisional voter fills out a form called a provisional application, which includes information that the county board of elections can use to research the voter's eligibility.

An in-person voter will also cast a provisional ballot if they are unable to show an acceptable form of photo identification when voting. The voter will cast a provisional ballot and do one of the following:

• complete a Photo ID Exception Form, or
• return to their county board of elections office with their photo ID by 5 p.m. the day before county canvass. (For the November 5 election, this date is Thursday, November 14.)

For eligible voters who complete a Photo ID Exception Form, the provisional ballot will be counted unless the county board of elections unanimously determines that information on the Photo ID Exception Form is false.

After Election Day, each county board of elections meets before certifying the results to make decisions on the approval or disapproval of provisional ballots. In most counties, this occurs the week after Election Day. If the board determines that the voter is eligible, the provisional ballot is counted. If the voter is eligible for some contests on the ballot but not others, only the eligible contests will be counted for that voter. These ballots will be added to the results during the 10-day canvass period following Election Day.

Unofficial results for the 2024 general election are available on the Election Results Dashboard.

County canvass is scheduled for Friday, November 15. State canvass will be held on Tuesday, November 26.

Related Topics:

• Election results
• Laws/litigation
• Required by law

Patrick Gannon

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