In-person early voting has begun in North Carolina: What you need to know to have a smooth voting experience
In-person early voting got underway Thursday at 419 voting sites in all 100 North Carolina counties – including 95% (76) of the 80 early voting sites in the counties devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), said earlier this week that losing only four early voting sites “despite the extensive damage, loss of power, water, internet and phone service and the washing out of roads throughout the region” is a credit to everyone working on the response effort.
“An enormous amount of credit goes to our emergency management and FEMA partners, power companies, and, of course, the county boards of elections in the western part of the state,” she said. “To have almost all early voting sites open after such a devastating storm is an effort all North Carolinians should be proud of.”
The NCSBE approved several emergency measures to make it easier for voters in 13 impacted counties to do their civic duty. They have also created a webpage with all the information voters in WNC need to know.
For North Carolina voters living in areas unaffected by Helene, it’s business as usual when it comes to in-person early voting – except for one big change applicable to all voters. You are now required to show a valid photo ID to vote. There are over 130 approved IDs that voters can use. If a voter doesn’t have any of the approved forms of identification, they can get a free ID from their local county board of elections. Everyone, ID or not, is entitled to vote. If you don’t have an ID you can fill out an ID Exception Form at the polls.
Early voting is open now through Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. Remember, to vote early you don’t need to go to your Election Day polling place – you can vote early at any location in your county. Voter registration ended on Oct. 11, but those who missed the deadline can take advantage of same-day voter registration at any of their county’s early voting locations during operating hours.
If you would prefer to vote absentee, you should be aware of some changes. This year, all completed absentee ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted. This is a change from past years when you simply had to postmark your ballot by Election Day. In addition, you will also need two witnesses and a photocopy of your ID to complete your ballot.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. DO NOT LEAVE if you are in line when polls close – you are legally entitled to vote. Check out the ACLU’s Voting Rights website if you have any issues or concerns while voting. You can also call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Important Voting Resources:
- Check Your Voter Registration Status
- View the List of Acceptable Photo IDs
- Track an Absentee Ballot
- Find Your Nearest Early Voting location
- Find Your Election Day Polling Place
- For Any Other Questions on Voting:
