NC Presidential Ballot Access
North Carolina Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for North Carolina, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a political party may be placed on the general election ballot. Political parties must file the names of the presidential electors with the secretary of state. The names of the candidates for president and vice-president will be printed on the ballot. A political party is any group whose candidate for governor or presidential electors at the last preceding general election received at least 2% of the entire vote cast in the state for governor or presidential electors. A group may form a new political party by filing with the state board of election no later than the 1st day of June preceding the general election a petition containing the number of signatures of registered voters equal to ¼ of 1 % of the total number of voters who voted in the most recent general election for governor. The petition must be signed by at least 200 registered voters from each of the 4 congressional districts in the state.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
An unaffiliated presidential candidate may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing with the state board of elections no later than the last Friday in June preceding the general election a petition containing the number signatures of registered voters equal to 1.5% of the total number of voters who voted in the most recent general election for governor. The petition must be signed by at l east 200 registered voters from each of the 4 congressional districts in the state. The candidate must certify to the secretary of state no later than the first Friday in August the name of the candidate for vice-president and the names of the presidential electors.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A write-in candidate for president must file with the state board of election no later than 90 days before the election a declaration of intent and a petition containing the signatures of 500 qualified voters.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 163-1, 163-96, 163-122, 163-123, 163-209, 163-213
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.