Last week, I encouraged everyone to make sure that they are registered to vote. This week, I want to discuss mail-in voting and in-person early voting. If you are concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, give yourself the option to vote by mail by requesting an absentee ballot on the Absentee Ballot Tools page of the NC State Board of Elections (NCSBE) website. Do this soon because, according to the Vote by Mail page of the NCSBE website, it will take 7 to 10 days for your ballot to arrive in your mailbox after you request it. According to the FAQs: Voting by Mail in NC in 2020 page of the NCSBE website, once you receive and fill out your ballot, you can return it in person at your county board of elections office, in person at an open early voting site in your county, by commercial courier service (DHL, FedEx, or UPS), or by mail. If you decide to return your ballot by mail, the U.S. Postal Service recommends sending it in by October 27. To be on the safe side, submit your completed ballot as soon as possible.
If you are a registered voter or if you still need to register, in-person early voting may be a good option for you, as long as you do not vote twice. In-person early voting sites are open from October 15 to October 31, so make a plan to vote soon. Visit the One-Stop Voting Sites page of the NCSBE website to find in-person early voting sites in your county. Check out the Vote Early in Person page of the NCSBE website for more information.
I am more than happy to help anyone fill out an absentee ballot request form, answer questions about in-person early voting, and track ballots using BallotTrax. Feel free to contact me at bknapp4@gmail.com.