Info on [early] voting
by
jessilyn
—
last modified
Oct 17, 2008 06:18 PM
Filed Under:
Don't forget that Election Day is just a few weeks away and we strongly recommend you vote early this year (early voting in North Carolina started yesterday, Thursday October 16th, and runs through Saturday November 1st). You can find early voting locations and times in your county here: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/content.aspx?id=17.
Some frequently asked questions about voting in North Carolina:
- I heard that voting a straight party ballot does not include the Presidential race. Is that true? Yes. In North Carolina voting a "straight party" ballot does not include the Presidential race. So make sure that you mark the Presidential race and the non-partisan judicial races if you vote a straight party ballot.
- Do I need to bring identification? Maybe. You don't need to bring identification if you've previously voted at your current address. You should bring identification if you are a newly registered voter or need to register to vote at the early voting location. Bring a drivers license, other government issued ID, social security card, or utility bill for identification purposes if necessary. It's always a good idea to bring proof of residency, just in case. You can find more information about acceptable forms of identification here: http://www.2008electionconnection.com/more/
index.cfm?Fuseaction=I.D._Requiremen§ion=more_42815. - Where can I get non-partisan information about the candidates? Get to know the candidates running in North Carolina with this non-partisan voter's guide: http://www.2008electionconnection.com/uploads/
2008ElectionConnection/StatewideVoterGuide.pdf - Can I wear partisan buttons and t-shirts when I vote? Yes. What you wear is considered free speech. But you may not "electioneer" (hand out materials, tell people who to vote for, etc) within the sign that says "no electioneering beyond this point" (usually 50 feet in front of the polling place).
- Where can I see a sample ballot? Go to http://www.sboe.state.nc.us and click on the link for "General Election Sample Ballots."
- Where can I get non-partisan resources for other voting and election questions or problems:
- Visit these NC based websites: http://www.ncvoterinfo.com and http://www.2008electionconnection.com
- Find your county board of elections: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/content.aspx?id=13
- Call 1-888-OUR-VOTE
Be sure to check your voter registration online before you go out to vote early. On 10/22 I checked mine and, although I've been registered at the same address in NC for four years, my name couldn't be found! Luckily, the next day I checked again, and my information appeared. So, my husband and I went out that day and voted! I think that because so many new voters are being registered for this election (a good thing) and, unfortunately, too many thousands of voters are being purged or scared off in some states (for whatever reason!) by whatever "powers that are," it is important for people to be certain they are registered before it is too late to vote. This election is just that important.