Vote!
Murphy – North Carolinians who want to cast their ballot in person on Primary Election Day – March 3 – have until Friday to register to vote – or do they?
According to the N.C. State Board of Elections, even if you miss the deadline, eligible individuals may still register and vote during the early voting period at any early voting site in their county.
Friday is also the deadline for registered voters to change their party affiliation before the primary. The regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election.
The early voting period runs from Feb. 12-28. “Same-day registrants” must attest to their eligibility, provide proof of where they live, and show an acceptable form of photo ID.
Voter registration is prohibited on Election Day – but even then, there are exceptions. An individual becomes eligible after the deadline by becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction.
“Eligible North Carolinians still have time to register to vote in these important primaries that will determine which candidates from each political party move on to the November election,” said State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes.
How to register
Eligible individuals may register in the following ways:
- Individuals with a North Carolina driver’s license or other N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles identification may submit a voter registration application online.
- Eligible individuals may also register in person at NCDMV offices.
- Eligible residents may complete a Voter Registration Application in English or Spanish on paper and return it to their county board of elections by 5 p.m. the day of the deadline.
- Eligible individuals may also register to vote when applying for services at certain state agencies. Learn more about the National Voter Registration Act at justice.gov/crt/national-voter-registration-act-1993-nvra.
If an application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if postmarked on or before the deadline. If using the paper application and registering for the first time in your county, you must mail or deliver a signed application to your county board of elections.
The U.S. Postal Service recently clarified that postmarks are applied when the mail is processed at a processing facility, and this may not necessarily match the date on which the mail was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a post office.
If an individual is mailing a voter registration form close to or on the deadline, they can ensure the postmark is applied the day they put their form in the mail. To do so, the individual should follow the USPS recommendation to request a manual postmark at the retail counter at the post office when dropping off their mail.
Requirements for registering
To register to vote, a person must:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Live at the residence they list on their registration form for 30 days before the date of the election.
- Be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election. Seventeen-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election Tuesday, Nov. 3, may register and vote in the primary.
- Not be serving a felony sentence, including any probation, post-release supervision or parole.
Updating registration
To update a voter registration, voters may use the NCDMV online service or a North Carolina voter registration application.
Registered voters may also update their registration, except for their party affiliation, at an early voting site.
Voters with a North Carolina driver’s license or other NCDMV ID may update their address and party affiliation through the NCDMV online service. They may not change their name through that service.
If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by Friday. Updates to name, address (if within the county), and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to the voter’s county board of elections.
You must bring a valid ID on Election Day or you will not be able to vote.
Political forums
The Cherokee County Republican Party, the Cherokee Scout and Local TV 4 are holding two nights of political forums for all GOP candidates in the March 3 primary.
The debates will take place from 6-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Cherokee County Courthouse in downtown Murphy:
- Thursday – Candidates for the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, clerk of court and register of deeds. Email questions in those races to dbrown@ cherokeescout.com.
- Friday – Candidates for the Cherokee County Board of Education and sheriff. Email questions to ralphbrobinson@gmail.com.
In addition to the forums, the Cherokee County Republican Party has scheduled three candidate meet-and-greet events across the county:
- Monday, 6-8 p.m. – P.B. Ferebee Community Center, 535 Main St. in Andrews.
- Tuesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Murphy Public Library, 9 Blumenthal St. in downtown Murphy.
- Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6-8 p.m. – Hiwassee Dam Fire Department, 80 Line Drive off N.C. 294.
- Community members are encouraged to attend these free public events. The Scout is also planning general election forums.
Topton voters
On Jan. 13, the Cherokee County Board of Elections adopted a resolution moving their voting precinct.
All voters assigned to the Topton voting precinct in Cherokee County will be temporarily relocated to the Andrews North precinct effective for the March 3 primary election as well as the May 12 second primary (if needed). The Andrews North precinct is located at 160 Park St., off Main Street in Andrews.
Registration repair
The Registration Repair Project is an effort by the state board of elections to collect identification numbers from registered voters who do not have an N.C. driver’s license/DMV ID number or Social Security number in the state’s voter registration database.
These numbers are used to verify that registrants are who they claim to be. Voters who do not have this information in their record may need to cast a provisional ballot and provide this information the next time they vote.
For more, visit ncsbe.gov and search “registration repair.”
Bring your ID
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina. Most voters will simply show their driver’s license, but there are many other acceptable photo IDs. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID.
If a voter cannot show an acceptable photo ID when voting in person, they can still vote by filling out an ID Exception Form. If absentee-by-mail voters are unable to include a copy of their photo ID with their ballot envelope, they can also fill out an ID Exception Form to return with their ballot.
For more about ID requirements, visit ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id.
Details: The Cherokee County Board of Elections office is at 40 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. The N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles office in Cherokee County is at 1440 Main St., Andrews. The N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles website is ncdmv.gov. The state board of elections website is ncsbe.gov.