With early voting for North Carolina’s primary election just weeks away, election officials are reminding voters of crucial deadlines to ensure they can participate in selecting party nominees for November’s general election.
The voter registration deadline for the March 3 primary is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6. North Carolina residents can register online, by mail, or at the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. However, those who miss this deadline still have options: Voters can use same-day registration during the early voting period, which runs from Feb. 12-28.
Early Voting Underway Soon
In-person early voting begins Thursday, Feb. 12, and continues through Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. During this period, eligible residents who missed the Feb. 6 deadline can register and vote on the same day by providing a current ID and proof of residency, such as a piece of mail or pay stub. Voters must have lived in their county for at least 30 days to use same-day registration, which is not available on Election Day itself.
On March 3, polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. statewide. Anyone in line at their assigned polling place when polls close will be able to vote.
Sample Ballots Now Available
Registered voters can now view their sample ballots through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool. After entering their name and date of birth, voters can click on their name and scroll down to the “Your Sample Ballot” section to see what races will appear on their ballot.
For many counties across the state, including Chowan County, ballots will feature only state and federal races this primary season, as no local elections include contested party races. In North Carolina’s semi-closed primary system, voters registered with a party must vote the ballot of that party, while unaffiliated voters may choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.
Absentee Voting Details
For those voting by mail, the deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17. County boards of elections began mailing ballots to voters who requested them on Jan. 12.
Absentee voters should note an important change: North Carolina recently eliminated its three-day grace period for mail-in ballots. All absentee ballots must now be received by the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. March 3. Previously, ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within three days were counted, but that is no longer the case.
Mail-in voters must have two witnesses or a notary sign their ballot return envelope and include a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID in the sleeve on the back of the envelope.
Completed absentee ballots can be mailed to or dropped off at county board of elections offices before Election Day, or delivered to an election official at any early voting site during the early voting period.
Photo ID Required
North Carolina voters will be asked to show photo ID when checking in to vote, whether voting early or on Election Day. Voters casting absentee ballots by mail must include a photocopy of their photo ID with their ballot materials.
Additional information about the March 3 primary election, including polling place locations and voting requirements, is available through the North Carolina State Board of Elections at www.ncsbe.gov or through local county boards of elections.
