Photo ID amendmentPhoto ID for every voter, including by mail
Read the full text of the measure: State Board of Elections referendum list (PDF)
In plain words
Since 2018 the state constitution has required photo ID for people who vote in person. A 2024 state law already asks mail-in voters to send a copy of their ID too. This amendment writes that into the constitution, so it would take another statewide vote to undo it. How you vote would not change right away. (spectrumlocalnews.com )
Before and after
| Question | Today | If it passes |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID for in-person voters | In the constitution | In the constitution (same) |
| Photo ID for mail-in voters | Required by a state law (lawmakers could change it) | Required by the constitution (only a statewide vote can change it) |
| Exceptions (for example, no transportation or a lost ID) | Allowed by state law | Still up to state law; the constitution says the rules "may include exceptions" |
Numbers from the official ballot title (ballot title ); also see (ncleg.gov )
Biggest change
- Makes the photo ID requirement for mail-in voting part of the state constitution instead of only a state law, so lawmakers could no longer remove it on their own. source: spectrumlocalnews.com
Who it affects most: People who vote by mail, including many older, disabled, military and overseas voters.
Cost to the state: No cost estimate was published with the amendment.
Our plain-words summary. Every line points to its source.
What your vote means
Photo ID for mail-in voting becomes part of the state constitution, so only another statewide vote could remove it.
Photo ID for mail-in voting stays a state law that lawmakers could change; in-person photo ID stays in the constitution.
Our one-line summary. North Carolina does not publish an official "what your vote means" statement; the ballot title above is the official description.
Why people want it, and why others object
Why this is on the ballot
The Legislature put this on the ballot. It changes the state constitution, so only another statewide vote can change it back. It passes with a simple majority of the votes cast on it.
- Voters added photo ID for in-person voting to the constitution in 2018. A 2024 state law extended it to mail-in ballots. source: spectrumlocalnews.com
Why supporters want it
- Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank, says it would make the ID rule harder to reverse if the other party takes control of the General Assembly, and that voters should see no change in how they vote. source: spectrumlocalnews.com
- Republican supporters call ID checks "common sense security." source: axios.com
Why opponents object
- Brooks Fuller of Common Cause NC: "I think we should be skeptical of any additional hurdle that's placed on voters." He says Black and young voters are less likely to have a qualifying ID. source: spectrumlocalnews.com
- Disability Rights North Carolina and other critics say it can burden military, student, rural and older mail-in voters, and that it protects the ID rule but not the exceptions. source: axios.com
Who backs each side
- For: the Republican leaders of the General Assembly who placed it on the ballot. Against: Common Cause NC and Disability Rights North Carolina. No public record found of campaign money for either side. source: axios.com
In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.
What you will see on your ballot
Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)
The official ballot title, word for word from the State Board of Elections' official referendum list .
Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting.
FOR
AGAINST
Copied word for word from the State Board of Elections' official list of referendum choices for Nov. 3, 2026.
Latest news
Recent reporting from a range of outlets, newest first. We link to it; we don't endorse it.
No articles collected yet for this measure.
Full text of the measure
The exact change to the constitution is in the session law: it deletes the words "in person" so the photo ID rule covers every voter. Read it in the State Board of Elections referendum list (PDF) , or on the Legislature's page for Senate Bill 921 (Session Law 2024-58) , which also shows the votes in each chamber.
Read more
- State Board of Elections: 2026 statewide referendum choices (PDF)
- Spectrum News: the voter ID amendment
- Axios Charlotte: the three amendments explained
- State Board of Elections: voter ID rules and exceptions
We link to analysis from several sources; we don't endorse it.