Absentee Ballot Deadline This Month
Cary, NC — The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the November 3 election is fast approaching. Luckily, for registered voters, there’s still a few weeks left.
It’s Not Too Late to Request
If it’s on your list to request a ballot, the time is now. The good news is, it’s been made even easier and quicker through the Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal.
You can fill out your request form information and hit submit right away. The official request deadline is 5 p.m. October 27. For those that have requested an absentee ballot, there are 3 ways to track its status in North Carolina.
Deadlines
October 9, 2020 – To Register
To vote absentee or on Election Day in person, October 9, 2020, is the deadline to be registered in your county. (You can register after this online is you register and vote same day during the early voting period (Oct. 15-31).
October 27, 2020 – To Request Absentee Ballot
Voters can send in their ballot request anytime from now until 5 PM on October 27, 2020, exactly one week prior to Election Day. The forms can be done online or delivered to your county board of elections in person, by fax, email or mail.
November 3, 2020 – To Cast Vote
Once completed, signed by a witness and placed in it’s own unique return envelope, the ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day. All ballots delivered no later than 3 days after election day will be counted.
Tracking an Absentee Ballot
A new online service from the State Board of Elections, called BallotTrax, launched last month as a way for voters to ensure their ballot is received and counted in the General Election.
To track a ballot, you’ll need to create an account and once logged in, mail-in voters can view the status of their absentee by-mail request and ballot.
Other Methods of Tracking
- The State Board’s Voter Search Tool
- Contacting a county’s Board of Elections
Tips on Voting Absentee in NC
- No special circumstance or reason is needed to request, receive and vote an absentee ballot.
- Any North Carolina registered voter may request and receive a mail-in absentee ballot for the 2020 general election.
- As always, North Carolina voters have three options for voting: mail-in absentee, in-person during the early voting period, and in-person on Election Day. Significant health safeguards will be in place for voters who cast their ballot in person.
Story and featured image by Ashley Kairis. Flags photo by Hal Goodtree.
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