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NC Voter Guide: Where to vote, how to register to vote, find results, important dates, COVID-19 safeguards

Find out what you should know before you go to the polls to vote.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Election Day is almost here! Voters will head to the polls on Election Day Tuesday, November 3, 2020. 

Here's your guide to all things voting!

ELECTION DAY

ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?

To check your voter registration visit the "Voter Lookup" tool. It will give you all of your registration information, including the districts you reside in for Congress, state House and Senate, Superior Court, County Commission and Board of Education, among others. If you need to fill out a voter registration application, click here or print out the form below. Find out about qualifications to register to vote. If you missed the voter registration deadline, you've got another option - go to a one-stop early voting site. 

RELATED: LIST | Early voting sites in the Piedmont Triad

RELATED: Easy steps to register to vote in North Carolina

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Regular Voter Registration Deadline: Fri., Oct. 9
  • Start of Early Voting: Thurs., Oct. 15
  • End of Early Voting: Sat., Oct. 31
  • Absentee By-Mail Ballot Request Deadline: Tues., Oct. 27
  • Election Day: Tues., Nov. 3 (Polls are open statewide from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.)

VOTER TOOLS

COVID-19 SAFEGUARDS 

Information from the North Carolina State Board of Elections

Significant precautions will be made at voting sites to protect voters and election officials against the transmission of COVID-19. These include:

  • Enforcing social distancing at polling places and early voting sites.
  • Providing hand sanitizer and masks for voters and election workers who do not bring their own.
  • Providing gloves and face shields for election workers.
  • Erecting barriers between election workers and voters at check-in tables.
  • Providing single-use pens in counties that use hand-marked paper ballots and Q-tips for voters who use ballot-marking devices.
  • Frequently cleaning surfaces and equipment in polling places and early voting sites.
  • Recruiting poll workers who are less vulnerable to the virus.

VOTER REGISTRATION FORM

ABSENTEE VOTING

Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot in most elections. No special circumstance or reason is needed to vote by mail in North Carolina. 

ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORM

YOU WON'T NEED PHOTO ID

North Carolinians previously voted in favor of a photo ID requirement law. It was supposed to take effect this year, but a federal judge blocked the law from taking effect before the new year. It will stay blocked until further order from the courts. Therefore, you don't need your photo ID to vote. 

RELATED: NC court sides with federal judge, casting doubt over voter ID law

PHOTO ID HOTLINE

Still, have questions about the voter ID law? Call the state's Photo ID Hotline at 919-814-0744.

PAPER BALLOTS

All North Carolina Boards of Election are using paper ballots in this year's election, and it could affect how long you wait at the polls. The General Assembly required all electronic voting machines to be phased out by September 2019. The North Carolina State Board of Elections website said state law now requires paper ballots that can be audited must be used in 2020. 

RELATED: Guilford County voters using paper ballots for the first time in years

BEFORE YOU CAST YOUR BALLOT

Make sure you carefully review your selections on your ballot before casting it. Once you put your ballot in the tabulator it cannot be retrieved, so it is important to make sure you have selected each desired ballot item.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM VOTING?

If you encounter any issues when voting, immediately report the issue to a precinct official at the polling place.

VOTING EQUIPMENT

Information from the North Carolina State Board of Elections 

As of 2020, voting systems from three different vendors – Clear Ballot, Election Systems and Software (ES&S) and Hart InterCivic are approved for use in North Carolina elections. The systems of two vendors – ES&S and Hart – will be used in the 2020 elections.

All voting systems used in North Carolina are certified by the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the State Board of Elections after undergoing mandatory testing by nationally accredited laboratories. All systems used in North Carolina have been tested, used, and audited in other states.

WAYS TO GET ELECTION RESULTS

1. Download the WFMY News 2 App, tap on Election Results: Apple | Android

2. Text the word RESULTS to 336-379-5775

3. Click on the Election Results tab on the WFMY News 2 site.

4. Check the WFMY News 2 Facebook page

5. Check the WFMY News 2 Twitter page

6. Watch WFMY News 2 at 11!

HOW TO WATCH COVERAGE

Stay on top of election results on social media and real-time coverage.

1. Mobile - download the WFMY News 2 app - Apple | Android

2. Online – WFMY News 2 News website

3. Facebook page - turn to the WFMY News 2 News Facebook page

4. YouTube - watch WFMY News 2 YouTube page

5. Watch WFMY News 2 at 11

NC JUDICIAL VOTER GUIDE

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