In-person early voting for 2020 primary election begins

The in-person early voting period for the 2020 primary election begins today Thursday, Feb. 13, and ends Saturday, Feb. 29.

There are two locations in Swain County for one-stop including the Board of Election Office, located at 1422 Hwy 19 South, Bryson City and Birdtown located at 1212 Birdtown Road, Cherokee. Curbside voting is available at both locations for those in need. Registered voters can vote at either location during early voting.

The Primary Election will be held Tuesday, March 3, and voters must cast ballots at their precinct on that day.

During the 17-day early voting period, any registered voter may vote at any early voting site in their county before the primary.  Individuals may also register and vote at the same time using same-day registration. During the early voting period, registered voters may update their name or address, but may not change their party affiliation.

To take advantage of same-day registration, voters must attest to their eligibility by signing a voter registration application and providing proof of residence.

To check your voter registration information in North Carolina, go to https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.

To avoid lines, voters should keep in mind that the busiest early voting days typically are the first and last days.

“Early voting gives North Carolina voters an opportunity to vote at their own convenience, and also to register if they have not already done so,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We hope voters take advantage of this opportunity in this important election year.”

What is a primary election?

In a primary election, voters select which candidates will appear on the ballot for a given political party in the general election in November. Voters who are registered with one of the recognized political parties (Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian or Republican) may only cast ballots in that party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters may request a Democratic, Libertarian or Republican ballot, or nonpartisan ballot, if available.

Additional voting options

Voters may also cast their ballots through absentee by-mail voting or in person on Election Day. The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the March primary is Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Voters must submit an absentee ballot request form by mail or in person to their county board of elections. For more about absentee voting, view the How to Vote Absentee By Mail resource on the State Board website.

The primary election is March 3, earlier than in previous years. Because weather may be unpredictable on Election Day, the State Board encourages voters to vote early, either by mail or in person.

“The weather in North Carolina in early March can be unpredictable, so we are reminding voters that there are ways to cast their ballot before the March 3 primary,” Brinson Bell said.

Note Regarding Photo ID:

Voters are not required to show photo ID for the March 2020 primary election. In a Dec. 31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the court.

Note: During the early voting period, the State Board office will post daily early voting statistics here: https://dl.ncsbe.gov/index.html?prefix=One-Stop_Early_Voting/2020/Absentee%20Stats/.