Youth and University Voting Information
Voting at 17
To be eligible to vote in North Carolina, you must be 18 years old by the date of the General Election Day (Fall). 17 year-olds may vote in Primary Elections (Spring/Summer) if they will be 18 by the date of the General Election. Click here for more information.
Western Carolina University Students:
If you attend Western Carolina University and have lived in Jackson County for 30 days, you are able to register and vote in this county. This registration is only valid for Jackson County, and you will need to re-register if you move to a different county. This applies to all forms of voter registration.
If you are an off-campus student living in Jackson County, you can register to vote with the address of your current residence.
If you are an on-campus student, you can register to vote using your on-campus Residence Hall address as your residential address. Your residential address must be in Jackson County in order to vote in our elections. It is suggested that you provide your on-campus mailing address, but you may put your home or a different address if that is where you would prefer to receive mail.
Click Here to find addresses for WCU's Residence Halls.
When Do I Need an Absentee Ballot?
If you are registered and plan on voting in a different county or state, you can request an absentee ballot. Please contact the Board of Elections where you are registered for directions to request an absentee ballot.