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Murphy – Early voter turnout has been low so far for the March 3 primary.
Leighsa Jones, director of elections for Cherokee County, said just 370 people had voted in Cherokee County as of Monday afternoon, and there have been no lines. There are 24,643 registered voters in Cherokee County as of Saturday, the latest date for which figures were available.
Early voting times are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. through Feb. 27, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28. Early voting take places at the Cherokee County Board of Elections office at 40 Peachtree St. downtown.
Early voting is especially popular in North Carolina general elections, but it is also used by many primary voters. In 2022, 59% of primary voters cast ballots on Election Day, 39% voted during the early voting period and 2% voted by mail.
10 tips
With early voting underway in Cherokee County for the March 3 primary election, here are 10 tips offered by the N.C. Board of Elections.
1. Early voting locations. Eligible voters may cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county. In Cherokee County, that’s one place, 40 Peachtree St. in Murphy.
2. Sample ballots. Sample ballots for the primary are available through the Voter Search tool at the N.C. State Board of Elections website, ncsbe.gov. The board does not provide detailed information about candidates, but the Cherokee Scout does. Many candidates also have websites and social media accounts. Knowing your candidate choices in advance and being familiar with the ballot may help your voting experience go more quickly.
3. Primary ballot styles. In a partisan primary, voters affiliated with a political party may only vote their party’s ballot and may not vote in another party’s primary. For example, a registered Democrat may only vote in the Democratic Party primary. This remains true even if the party you are affiliated with does not have a primary. Unaffiliated voters may choose any one political party’s ballot or a nonpartisan ballot, if available in their jurisdiction, in a primary election.
4. Same-day registration. Individuals who missed the regular voter registration deadline on Feb. 6 may register and vote at the same time during the early voting period. Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility and provide proof of where they live by showing a driver’s license or other government document, paycheck, utility bill, or bank statement that has their current name and residence address on it.
5. Updating a Registration. When you check in to vote at an early voting site, you may update your name or address within the same county, if necessary. You may not change your party affiliation at an early voting site during a primary election.
6. Bring your photo ID. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they check in to vote. Most voters will show their driver’s license, but many other forms of photo ID will be accepted. Voters who do not have photo ID can meet the photo ID requirement by either (1) filling out a form explaining why they are unable to show ID, or (2) showing their ID at the county board of elections office by 12 p.m. (noon) March 6. More information about the photo ID requirement is available at BringItNC.gov.
7. Free photo IDs. Any registered voter who needs a photo ID can get one for free from their county board of elections office during the early voting period, which ends on Feb. 28.
8. Voter assistance. Voters in need of assistance may bring an eligible person to help them enter and exit the polling place or to help them complete their ballot according to the voter’s instructions. Election officials are also available to help voters. Curbside voting is also available for voters unable to enter the voting site.
9. No ballot photos. North Carolina law prohibits photographing or videotaping voted ballots. Voters may use electronic devices in the voting booth to access a slate card or candidate information, provided they don’t use the devices to communicate with anyone or take photographs of their voted ballot.
10. Peace at the polls. The State Board asks that all voters respect the rights of others to participate in the election. Intimidating any voter is a crime. Voters who feel harassed or intimidated should notify an election official immediately.
More voting facts
- There are 319 early voting sites in North Carolina for the March 2026 primary election – a 6% increase from 2022.
- The total number of early voting hours, a traditional measure tracked by the N.C. State Board of Elections, increased from 45,512 hours to 48,048 hours for the March 2026 primary. This represents a 6% increase in total early voting hours across North Carolina compared to the May 2022 primary.
- The total number of weekend early voting hours increased from 4,610 to 4,679. This represents a 1.5% increase in total weekend early voting hours across North Carolina compared to the May 2022 primary.