Arizona

North Carolina Endnotes

Pennsylvania Endnotes

Wisconsin Endnotes

Organized by state. States listed in alphabetical order.

* Photo IDs

Photo IDs Accepted

Unexpired or expired for one year or less:

  1. NC Driver’s License

  2. US Passport

  3. NC DMV State ID (“non-operator ID”)

  4. NC Voter Photo ID (from County Board of Elections)

  5. College/University Student ID (approved by State Board of Elections)

  6. Charter School Employee ID (approved by State Board of Elections)

  7. State/Local Government Employee ID (approved by State Board of Elections)

  8. Driver’s License/Non-Driver ID from another state, DC, or US territory (BUT only if registered within 90 days of election)

Regardless of whether ID contains expiration or issuance date:

  1. Military or veteran ID card (issued by US government)

  2. Tribal enrollment card (issued by state or federally recognized tribe)

  3. ID card issued by US government agency or State of NC for a public assistance program

Click here (or see photo ID infographic) for how get a free photo ID for purposes of voting by going to your local County Board of Elections office (County Board of Elections Offices Lookup or List of County Boards of Elections (pages 3-4 of Absentee Ballot Application)).

ID Exception Form

For all voters (In-Person and By-Mail (Absentee) Voters), if unable to show or include photo ID, voter may qualify to use ID Exception Form (to be presented when voting in person or included in envelope if voting by mail).

  1. Permitted reasons to be excepted from photo ID requirement:

  2. Lack of transportation

  3. Disability or illness

  4. Lack of birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain ID

  5. Work or school schedule

  6. Family responsibilities

  7. Photo ID is lost, stolen, or misplaced

  8. Applied for photo ID but have not received it

  9. (For Mail Voters Only) Unable to attach a copy of photo ID (must include driver’s license number or last four digits of Social Security number)

  10. Other reasonable impediment (if selected, the voter must write the reason on the form)

  11. State or federal law prohibits voter from listing the reason

  12. Voter has a religious objection to being photographed.

  13. Voter was victim of state or federal declared natural disaster within 100 days before Election Day.

If in-person voter does not have qualified photo ID and does not qualify for exemption, vote provisional ballot. Note that voter will have to present valid photo ID after election. See Provisional Ballots footnote.

**Absentee Ballots

If voter is using the paper application to vote absentee and is not yet registered to vote in NC, voter should submit their voter registration form with application for absentee ballot.

There is NO LONGER A GRACE PERIOD for submitting ballots. Ballots must be RECEIVED, not postmarked, by Election Day at 7:30pm whether by mail or in person.

If you decide to vote in person instead of absentee, you may vote in person during Early Voting or on Election Day INSTEAD of voting absentee, just discard your absentee ballot. Voter may not return absentee ballot to polling place.

Also note that only you or your near relative or legal guardian may mail or hand-deliver your absentee ballot. Do not give your balloting materials to a neighbor, friend, or stranger. (Near relative includes spouse, brother, sister, parent, child, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law.)

*** Provisional Ballots

Provisional ballots are used to ensure that no voter is denied the opportunity to vote. The voted provisional ballot is held aside until voter proves eligibility to vote. You may be asked to vote a provisional ballot or request to vote provisionally if there are questions about:

  • Voter’s qualification to vote,

  • Voter’s eligibility to vote in a given election,

  • Voter’s eligibility to vote a specific ballot style, or

  • Voter does not present photo ID.

  • Deadline to “cure” ballot (prove eligibility, such as showing valid photo ID) is Thursday November 14.

Once you vote your provisional ballot you will receive a PIN number in order to check the status of your ballot. You can begin checking the status of your provisional ballot online or via phone ((919) 814-0700 or (866) 522-4723) 10 days after the election, Friday November 15.

1 How to Vote Early, In Person, By Mail Ballot

  1. Submit a completed mail-in or absentee ballot application at your county election board or other designated location.

  2. Patiently wait for your application to be verified and processed (this may take a few minutes).

  3. Receive your ballot and mark your ballot.

  4. Seal your ballot in the white inner secrecy envelope that indicates "official elections ballot", making sure not to make any marks on the envelope. Your ballot must be enclosed and sealed in the white inner secrecy envelope or it will not be counted.

  5. Seal the inner secrecy envelope inside the pre-addressed outer return envelope where you must sign. Seal your ballot in both envelopes, or it will not be counted.

  6. Complete, sign, and date the voter's declaration on the outside of the outer return envelope. If you do not sign and date the outer return envelope, your ballot will not be counted.

  7. Hand in your ballot.

2 Absentee v. Mail-In Ballots

Absentee ballots allow voters to vote by mail and require voters to provide an excuse, a reason for not voting in person. Voters with a valid reason, such as being out of town during the election or physically unable to vote in person.

Mail-in ballots also allow voters to vote by mail but they DO NOT require an excuse or reason for not voting in person. All voters are eligible for mail-in ballots, which makes absentee ballots obsolete.

Seems that absentee ballots are a hold-over from before no-excuse-needed mail-in ballots were allowed.

Absentee Ballots – Changing Your Mind to Vote in Person:

If voter has received absentee or mail-in ballot, voter may change their mind and vote in person by surrendering the absentee ballot with outer return envelope to a poll worker at their polling place and signing a declaration. If voter does not have their absentee or mail-in ballot or envelope, voter can vote a provisional ballot and elections officials will verify that voter has not voted by mail before counting their vote.

3 Wearing Political Buttons, T-Shirts, Etc. at Polling Place Allowed

See PA Dept of State Guidance. See also, ACLU PA (2018), “In response to a request from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's office has notified county election boards that voters who wear partisan political buttons, stickers, and t-shirts to their polling places on Election Day should be allowed to vote.”

4 IDs Required to Vote if First-Time Voter in PA (Photo ID Not Required)

IDs Accepted:

  1. Pennsylvania driver's license or PENNDOT ID card

  2. ID issued by any Commonwealth of PA agency

  3. ID issued by the US Government

  4. US Passport

  5. US armed Forces ID

  6. Student ID

  7. Employee ID

  8. Confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office

  9. Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth that shows name and address

  10. 10.Non-photo ID issued by the US Government that shows name and address

  11. Firearm permit

  12. 12.Current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check that shows name and address

If voter is asked to show ID at the polls and does not show a valid ID, voter cannot be stopped from voting a regular ballot. Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline. If a regular ballot is denied, voter should ask for a provisional ballot.

5 Provisional Ballots

You may vote a provisional ballot if:

  • Your name was not in the poll book or supplemental poll book (i.e., you reported to the wrong precinct or did not report a recent change of address).

  • You are required to show ID, but cannot show ID.

  • Your eligibility was challenged by an election official.

  • You were issued but did not successfully vote an absentee or mail‐in ballot and you do not surrender your ballot at the polling place.

  • You returned a completed absentee or mail‐in ballot that was rejected by the county board of elections and you believe you are eligible to vote.

  • There is a special court order with respect to your registration status or related to extending the hours of voting.

1 Drop Boxes

Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission (2024) challenges constitutionality of restrictions on drop boxes, previously upheld in Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commissions (2022). Priorities USA was heard by now-liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court in May. Decision by end of June.

2 How to Vote Absentee

1) Fill out your ballot in presence of a witness (but OK to keep how your voting confidential), 2) place it in envelope provided and seal envelope, 3) sign Certification of Voter section on envelope in presence of witness, 4) if your address doesn’t appear on the envelope, write it on the envelope, 5) have witness sign and address Certification of Witness section on envelope (if witness’s address same as voter’s, still need to write the address); witness can be any U.S. citizen at least 18 years old, does not need to be Wisconsin resident, 6) mail ballot in return envelop or drop it off at clerk’s office or to polling place if returning on Election Day. See Wisconsin Elections Commission’s absentee ballot webpage with video tutorials on how to fill out the ballot and envelope and where to return it. Also see, Instructions from Vote.org.

Note 1: Voters may vote in person instead of absentee even if voter has already received their absentee ballot. Discard absentee ballot.

Note 2: A person cannot request an absentee ballot in person and leave the clerk's office with the ballot. The ballot is either voted in the clerk's office, or the clerk must mail the ballot to the elector.

3 Electioneering Near or At Polling Place

According to WI Statute § 12.03, “Electioneering” is any activity which is intended to influence voting in an election. Disruptive behavior is also prohibited. Elections inspectors determine whether an activity is considered electioneering and whether voter activity is disruptive. See, League of Wisconsin Municipalities. There seems to be a consensus from voter protection organizations that electioneering includes t-shirts, buttons, etc. are prohibited at polling places and within buffer zones. I have found very little to support this, but it is likely most poll workers (election inspectors) will interpret it so and ultimately it is up to them. Better safe than risk being kicked out of your polling place (especially don’t want to risk being kicked out before you vote, this election is too important!).

However, also note that bumper stickers on cars parked near polling places are specifically allowed in the statute (as long as not excessive so as to turn the car into an ad for/against a political candidate. WI Statute 12.03 and 12.035.

Note that in Wisconsin, poll workers are called “election inspectors” and report to the municipal clerk.

4 Provisional Ballots

Voters may vote provisional ballots in the following cases:

  1. A registered voter is unable or unwilling to provide proof of identification.

  2. Qualified voter who has current, valid WI driver's license registers to vote at polling place on election day, but cannot list the driver's license number on the registration

  3. First-time WI voter who registered by mail before April 4, 2014, but did not provide ID establishing proof of residence at the time they submitted the registration form and is unable to provide proof of residence at polling place.

Note: Provisional ballots are not given if: 1) voter in wrong polling place or 2) when attempting to register in person at the polling place but does not provide proof of residence.

Voter Guide 2024 Endnotes

Photo IDs

Photo IDs Accepted:

  • AZ driver license

  • AZ non-operating ID card issued after 10/1/1996

  • Tribal ID (Bureau of Indian Affairs Card #, Tribal Treaty Card #, or Tribal Enrollment #)

  • Certificate of Naturalization/Alien Registration number.

Alternative IDs accepted:

  1. Utility Bill in name of voter, dated within 90 days of election.

Utility Bill = electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, phone, cell phone, or cable TV

  1. Bank or credit union statement dated within 90 days of election

  2. Valid Arizona Vehicle Registration

  3. Indian census card

  4. Property tax statement of the elector's residence

  5. Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification

  6. Arizona vehicle insurance card

  7. Recorder's Certificate

  8. Valid U.S. federal, state, or local government-issued ID, including voter registration card

  9. 10.“Official Election Material” that was mailed to the voter

Voter not required to submit proof of citizenship with registration, but if they don’t, they will be "federal only" voter (only eligible to vote in federal elections). A "federal only" voter becomes eligible to vote "full ballot" (all federal, state, county and local elections) if later provide valid proof of citizenship to appropriate County Recorder's office.