— The voter registration deadline for 2018 is just a few days away. If you need to register or make changes to your registration, or if you've been displaced by Hurricane Florence, here's what you need to know.

In-person or mail-in registration

Residents of most North Carolina counties who want to register in person or by mail have until the close of business on Friday, Oct. 12, to submit their applications. As long as a mail-in registration is postmarked by that date, the county elections office will process it for November’s election. If it’s later than that, it won’t be processed in time.

Voters in the 28 North Carolina counties declared federal disaster areas due to Florence have three extra days - until Monday - to either register in person in their counties of residence or get their mail-in registrations postmarked.

Friday Oct. 12 update: The remnants of Hurricane Michael blew threw this week, causing some damage to the state, but not necessarily enough to trigger a federal disaster declaration. As of late Friday morning there were no plans to extend registration deadlines as a result of that storm.

Same-day registration

Voters who want to use same-day registration can do so at any one-stop early voting site within their county of residence from Oct. 17 through Nov. 3. To use same-day registration, you’ll need to fill out a voter registration form, which includes a legal attestation that you’re eligible to vote, and you’ll need to show proof of residency showing your name and address, which can be a government- or college-issued ID or a utility or bank statement.

You can also update your voter registration at one-stop sites. If you've moved within your county or have changed your name, you can make those changes at the same time you cast your vote.

Absentee ballots

Registered voters displaced by Hurricane Florence to other areas of the state can still vote in their counties of residence by using a mail-in absentee ballot. Near relatives or legal guardians can also request a mail-in ballot for them.

To request an absentee ballot, voters need to fill out a standard request form. The request must be received or postmarked no later than close of business Oct. 30. The completed mail-in ballot must be either returned to the county elections office or postmarked by 5 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 6. Voters will need a postage stamp to mail it in.