08/15/2020
The helpful information below was compiled by Raleigh-area voting rights activist, Aylett Colston. Please check it out and share!
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With cuts to the US Post Office and slower delivery, many NC voters are concerned about being able to vote absentee-by-mail.
If you would like to vote absentee-by-mail, you can - just do it EARLY!!
I recommend you request your absentee ballot now and return your voted ballot as soon as you are able.
Absentee-by-mail ballots will start being mailed out by the NCSBE on September 4. If you request your ballot now, you could vote in September. That way, there will be plenty of time to make sure your ballot was received and accepted by the NC Board of Elections.
Here are the details on how you can make sure your vote is counted:
Requesting your absentee-by-mail ballot:
To request an absentee ballot, fill out this form: https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Forms/NCAbsenteeBallotRequestForm.pdf
After completing the request form and signing it, you may return it to your county board of elections by fax, email, mail, or in person. You can complete the form, sign it, take a picture of it and email it to your board of elections.
If you are in Wake County, here is the contact information for the Wake County Board of Elections:
P O BOX 695
RALEIGH, NC 27602
919-404-4040
919-231-5737 (fax)
[email protected]
You can look up other counties here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo/
The absentee request form must be printed, signed, and returned to the voter’s county board of elections BY THE VOTER or the voter’s immediate family.
After you receive your ballot and fill it out, here is how you can return your ballot:
Your voted ballot must be mailed or delivered in person to your county board of elections office or an open early voting site during the early voting period (but cannot be returned to a polling site on election day, as of now).
The voted ballot (placed inside the return envelope) must be returned to the county board of elections by 5 p.m. on Election Day - but don't wait! Do it as early as you can!
FAQs:
"How will I know if my absentee by mail ballot has been received and counted?"
In NC, you will be able to know if your absentee by mail ballot has been received and counted via the NCSBE web site.
The NCSBE tracks this information in the Voter/Absentee Lookup tool, https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/
Following the directions on that link you will be able to review the status of your absentee by mail ballot.
"Can I vote in person even if I requested an absentee ballot?"
In NC, the answer is YES - if you have not yet returned your voted absentee by mail ballot, you may vote at an early voting polling site or at your precinct on election day. You may destroy your unvoted absentee by mail ballot once you have voted in person.
**NOTE: The NCSBE will be updating its website, so links may change.
Typically, only about 5% of NC voters vote absentee by mail, so this year will be different. If you want to vote absentee, it will be important to do so early and confirm that your ballot was received by the board of elections.
If you want to vote in-person, early voting starts October 15. There are usually fewer people voting at the beginning of the early voting period, so go early to avoid the crowd.
Voting is our most fundamental right – because it’s through voting that we protect all our rights.
Make a plan to vote safe and vote early!
