North Carolina Provisional Ballots

Return to Election Data Dispatches.

North Carolina provides access on its board of elections website to some of the most detailed elections data in the country. This includes information about provisional ballots cast, such as not only the number but also why they were issued—hard-to-find data in most states.

In the November 2012 election, 51,192 provisional ballots were issued, the vast majority because voters were not on the registration list or it did not show their current address:

  • 51 percent—there was no record of registration.
  • 19 percent—the voter’s move or change of address had not been reported.
  • 15 percent—the voter cast a ballot in the wrong precinct.
  • 10 percent—the voter had been removed from the rolls.
  • The state rejected 27,828 provisional ballots—almost three-quarters of them because the voter was not registered. 

    America’s Overdose Crisis
    America’s Overdose Crisis

    America’s Overdose Crisis

    Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

    Sign up
    Quick View

    America’s Overdose Crisis

    Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

    Sign up
    Composite image of modern city network communication concept

    Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

    Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics

    Quick View

    How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?