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Answering your voting questions before the first weekend of early voting

In two days more than 468,000 North Carolinians voted in person. State election officials expect that number to keep going up.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — There are still 15 more days for early voting and Saturday could be a big day for voters. 

Many will use their weekend to do their civic duty. Many still have questions about how it all works.

WFMY News 2's Grace Holland got answers to some of them from North Carolina State Board of Elections chair Damon Circosta. 

Q: Can we expect long lines through the entire early voting process?

A: "We're not quite sure. Historically, what you see is a bump on the first day, and then the weekends being a little bit busy than weekdays, and then increased enthusiasm is the early voting period goes on," Circosta said.

He recommends checking this map on the State Board of Elections website. You can search all of the early voting locations in your county.

It doesn't tell you what the wait times are but it can help you decide where to go.

Remember--you can only vote at locations in the county you're registered to vote in.

Q: Can you still register to vote?

A: The registration period to vote on Election Day is over but you can still register to vote during early voting. You register in person at a One-Stop Voting Site and you can cast your ballot on the same day.

"If that is the case, you'll need to bring some document that has your name and address on it so that we can verify where you live," Circosta said.

Q: I saw campaign signs and people campaigning outside an early voting location--Is that legal?

A: It is legal for people to campaign or place signs outside a polling place if they are 50 feet or more from the polling locations entrance.

"At every polling location in North Carolina, there is a buffer zone that is clearly marked and no one is allowed to go inside the buffer zone to do any campaigning or for any other reason except to vote," Circosta said.

Circosta says if you suspect someone is campaigning within that buffer zone, you should let a poll worker know.

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