GREENSBORO, N.C. — Whether you're interested in voting in person or by mail-in ballot, WFMY News 2 has the information you need.
You may have your questions answered below, but 2WTK also talked to Guilford County Board of Elections Director Charlie Collicutt and asked him questions sent in by your fellow viewers.
VOTING DATES:
September 4: NC begins mailing out absentee ballots to those who request them
October 9: Last day to register to vote
October 15-31: Early voting
October 27: Last day to request an absentee ballot
November 3: Election Day
Early Voting is from October 15 to October 31.
Every county has different hours. For example, Guilford County's hours on weekdays are from 8 AM- 7:30 PM and weekends from 8 AM-5 PM.
Forsyth County's hours are different on the weekends. Saturdays the polls will be open 9 AM-5 PM and Sundays 1 PM-5 PM.
You should check with your county elections office for times. You can look up your county's early voting sites by clicking on the NC Board of Elections interactive search and putting in your county's name.
(not available yet) Rockingham Co Early Voting Locations & Times
(not available yet) Randolph Co Early Voting Locations & Times
(not available yet) Surry Co Early Voting Locations & Times
Yes, you can register to vote on the same day as you early vote!
According to the NC BOE here is what you will need for same-day registration:
Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility and provide proof of where they live. A voter attests to their eligibility by completing and signing a North Carolina Voter Registration Application. The voter must prove their residence by showing any of the following documents with their current name and address:
- North Carolina driver’s license
- Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, provided that the card includes the voter's current name and address.
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
- A current college/university photo identification card paired with proof of campus habitation.
Within two business days of the person’s registration, the county board of elections will verify the registrant’s driver's license or Social Security number, update the voter registration database, search for possible duplicate registrations, and begin to verify the registrant’s address by mail. The registrant’s ballot will be counted unless the county board of elections determines that he or she is not qualified to vote that ballot.
ABSENTEE/MAIL-IN BALLOTS
To get an absentee ballot, you must first fill out an absentee ballot request form. You can do this online by downloading the form and printing it out yourself. You can email, mail, fax, or call your local Board of Elections to request the form be sent to you. You can also pick one up at the BOE.
Forms can be sent you by email, fax, and mail. But all ballots are mailed to you. If you are requesting an absentee ballot and are going to go through this process by mail only, you will want to give yourself several weeks to make sure all documents have time to be delivered.
When you fill out your request form, you'll need to give your DL number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
RETURNING ABSENTEE/MAIL-IN BALLOTS
- All ballots must be returned to the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day. You can drop off your ballot at the BOE on Election Day, but not at the polls.
- Absentee ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day will be timely only if they are received by mail no later than 5 p.m. on the third day following the date of the election and postmarked on or before Election Day.
- You can also drop off your ballot at an early voting polling site. Early voting is October 15-October 31.
According to Guilford County's Charlie Collicutt, drop-off ballot boxes will be manned. Every ballot must be logged and there will not be any anonymous drop-offs.
"If you got an absentee ballot and you decide you want to vote in-person, just destroy the absentee ballot and come in and vote," explained Collicutt.
HOW TO KNOW YOUR BALLOT WAS RECEIVED
Will I receive confirmation that my absentee ballot request was received and processed? Due to the current volume of absentee requests, we do not routinely confirm receipt. If there is a problem with a request submitted, the voter will be contacted within 5 business days of receipt; otherwise, we process the request, and a ballot should be received by September 30. If a voter or qualifying near relative would like to confirm that a ballot request has been received and processed, send an email to absentee@guilfordcountync.gov identifying the relationship to the voter and requesting absentee ballot status. A response should be received in 5-7 business days.
How do I confirm that my voted absentee ballot was received? After an individual has returned a voted ballot, they may track the status of this ballot by using the voter search tool and viewing the information in the Absentee Request section to track the status of their returned ballot. Important note: this information does NOT show if a ballot request was submitted; this information shows the status AFTER a voter returns their VOTED ballot.