In-Person Early Voting Begins Thursday for June 23 Primary Elections | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     In-person early voting begins Thursday, June 4, for the Republican second primary in the 11th Congressional District and the new Republican primary in Columbus County Commissioner District 2.

    Early voting runs through Saturday, June 20. Early voting sites and schedules are available through the State Board of Elections' one-stop site lookup tool.

    To reduce the likelihood of the spread of COVID-19, in-person voters are strongly encouraged to wear face masks while voting and waiting in line. Masks will be available for free to voters who do not bring their own. Voters will not be turned away if they choose not to wear a face mask. Voters are also encouraged to use hand sanitizer when entering and exiting polling places.

    All three voting options in North Carolina - absentee by-mail, in-person early voting and in-person voting on Election Day (June 23) - will be available to eligible Republican and unaffiliated voters in Columbus County and the 17 western North Carolina counties that make up the 11th Congressional District.

    "As early voting begins, the State Board wants voters to know that their safety is our top priority," said State Board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell. "We are working closely with the county boards of elections to implement safeguards so no voter fears disease when they cast their ballot."

    Significant precautions will be taken to protect in-person voters and poll workers at early voting sites and Election Day precincts. They include:

• Masks available for all poll workers and voters who do not bring their own.
• Single-use pens for voters to mark their ballots and take with them.
• Enforced social distancing between all poll workers and voters.
• Hand sanitizer for voters and poll workers.
• Face shields and gloves for poll workers.
• Protective barriers between poll workers and voters at check-in tables.
• Special sanitation kits at each precinct to ensure poll worker protection and clean tables and voting booths throughout the voting process.
• Thorough cleaning of voting sites before and after the election.

    On Monday, the State Board of Elections issued Numbered Memo 2012-20 to the 18 counties conducting elections on June 23, providing guidance for ensuring in-person voting is as safe as possible for voters and election workers.

    "The State Board is working diligently to protect voters who cast ballots in person during these elections," Brinson Bell said. "We want voters who come to a polling place during early voting or on Election Day to feel confident that significant precautions are being taken to protect their health and safety."

    Same-Day Registration

    Because the election in Columbus County is a new election, eligible voters may register to vote and cast a ballot on the same day during the early voting period.

    Under state law, voter registration is not permitted between the first and second primaries. This means same-day registration is not available during early voting for the Republican second primary in the 11th Congressional District.

    Voters may make name and address changes during the early voting period, but may not change their party affiliation.

    Absentee by Mail Voting

    Any eligible voter may request an absentee ballot through June 16, 2020. Any voter eligible to vote in the second primary who indicated on their absentee application for the March 3 primary that he or she would like an absentee ballot for the second primary will automatically be sent an absentee ballot.

    To request a ballot for either election, eligible voters must complete an absentee ballot request form and return it by mail or in-person to their county board of elections. To find your county board of elections, go here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo/.

    To learn more about how to vote by mail, go here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Outreach/Absentee/Infosheet_howtoabsentee_FINAL.pdf.

    For more information about the 11th Congressional District election, click HERE. For more information about the new primary election in Columbus County, click HERE.

• Contact: Patrick Gannon
•     patrick.gannon@ncsbe.gov