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FAQ: What To Know About Early Voting In North Carolina

A voter fills out a ballot during the March 2020 primary.
Erin Keever
/
WFAE
A voter fills out a ballot during the March 2020 primary. In-person early voting in North Carolina begins Thursday.

Early voting in North Carolina starts this month in North Carolina. Below are a few things to know before you head out to the polls.

What are the dates of early voting for North Carolina?
Early voting starts on Thursday, Oct. 15 and continues until Saturday, Oct. 31.

Is there a specific polling site a voter must go to for early voting?
Voters can cast a ballot early at any early polling place in their county. In Mecklenburg County, there are 33 sites. For a list of those polling places and times of operation, visit https://vt.ncsbe.gov/ossite/.

What should voters bring to the polls?
First-time voters must bring an ID if they did not provide a driver’s license or Social Security card during application. In North Carolina, you do not need an ID to vote.

How has early voting changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Voters will be six feet apart in line. Masks will be available to those who do not have one — and highly encouraged, but not required — and each polling location will also have hand sanitizer available.

Surfaces will also be continuously sanitized. Counties are also expected to get one-use stylus pens for voters.

Poll and election workers will wear masks, gloves and practice social distancing.

What if a voter is not feeling well or has COVID-19 symptoms?
If a voter is feeling ill when they go to vote early, they can request curbside services.

Voters with disabilities and those who have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 can also participate in curbside voting.

If a voter has missed the registration deadline, can they still participate in early voting?
Yes! If an eligible North Carolina voter missed the registration deadline last week — they can register with one-stop early voting at any of the early polling places and also cast their ballot.

If you have not yet registered to vote, early voting is now your only option. The registration deadline for in-person voting on Election Day or to vote via mail was Oct. 9.

Tell us about your voting experience. Did it go smoothly? Were there any problems? How were the lines? Did you feel safe? If so, why or why not?

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Alexandra Watts is an interim assistant producer on Charlotte Talks. Previously, she worked with WFAE as a Report for America corps member, reporting on local government and community issues through a partnership between WFAE and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.