Here are some important dates to remember for this year’s election:

March 17 – Beginning date to request an absentee ballot to be mailed
April 11 – Last day to register, change your party affiliation or your address. The voter registration form must be postmarked by/or hand delivered by this date.
April 17 – One-Stop Voting Begins
April 29 - 5 p.m. – Last day to receive absentee requests by mail and applications (for sickness or disability May 5)
May 3 - Saturday – One-Stop Voting Ends
May 5 – 5 p.m. – All voted absentee ballots must be in the Board of Elections office
May 6 – Primary Election Day. Polls open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In North Carolina, voters may register with any political party.  Party affiliation determines the primary in which a voter is eligible to vote.  You may also register as “unaffiliated.” During a partisan primary election, an unaffiliated voter may vote only if a party authorizes unaffiliated voters to vote in their primary.  If all parties authorize unaffiliated voters to vote, the voter must choose which party ballot he wishes to vote on the day of the Primary.