Island Free Press ...Local News

One-stop, early voting begins on Thursday, Oct. 16

Dare County residents no longer have to wait for Election Day to vote. A reason or excuse is no longer required to vote by absentee ballot, and early, one-stop voting for the Nov. 4 general election will begin on Thursday, Oct. 16, and continue until Friday or Saturday, Oct. 31 or Nov. 1, depending on where in the county you cast your early ballot.

Voters will be casting their ballots for President of the United States, for a U.S. Senate seat, for the District 3 U.S. Congressman, and for such state races as governor and lieutenant governor. Local races for county commission seats are not in play, since all candidates are unopposed. In Dare County, four commissioners are up for re-election. They are Warren Judge, Allen Burrus, Mike Johnson, and Richard Johnson. (A sample ballot is at the end of this article.)

One-stop voting details

To be able to vote by absentee, one-stop ballot you must be a registered voter in Dare County. The deadline for registering was Friday, Oct. 10. However, you can register to vote at the one-stop sites – but not at the polls on Election Day.

Schedule and locations for One-Stop Voting:

•    SITE #1 - DARE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS OFFICE
     954 Marshall C. Collins Drive Manteo, NC 27954
     Monday–Friday, beginning Oct. 16 until Oct. 31.
     From 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
     Saturday, Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

•   SITE #2 - BAUM CENTER
    300 Mustian Street Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
    Monday–Friday, beginning Oct. 16 until Oct. 31.
    From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

•   SITE #3 - FESSENDEN CENTER
    46830 Highway 12 Buxton, NC 27920
    Monday–Friday, beginning Oct. 16 until Oct. 31.
    From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Register and vote at one-stop site

A North Carolina resident who is qualified to vote but who misses the 25-day deadline for voter registration may register and vote at a One-Stop Site during the One-Stop Absentee voting period. The One-Stop Voting period extends from 19 to 3 days before Election Day.

The process is sometimes referred to as “Same-Day Registration,” but it is important to recognize that it is not permitted on Election Day itself.

To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address. The new registrant may vote ONLY at a One-Stop Absentee Voting Site in the county of registration during One-Stop Absentee Voting period and not on Election Day.

Acceptable forms of identification include a:

•    North Carolina driver’s license with current address
•    Utility bill with name and current address
•    Telephone or mobile phone bill
•    Electric or gas bill
•    Cable television bill
•    Water or sewage bill

Document with name and current address from a local, state, or U.S. government agency, such as a:

•    Passport
•    Government-issued photo ID
•    U.S. military ID
•    License to hunt, fish, own a gun, etc.
•    Property or other tax bill
•    Automotive or vehicle registration
•    Certified documentation of naturalization
•    Public housing or Social Service Agency document
•    Check, invoice, or letter from a government agency
•    Birth certificate
•    Student photo ID along with a document from the school showing the student’s name and current address
•    Paycheck or paycheck stub from an employer or a W-2 statement
•    Bank statement or bank-issued credit card statement

If you cannot supply an acceptable form of identification for Proof-of-Residence, your registration application cannot be fully processed until the required information is provided.

Registered voters may also update their address and change vital information in an existing registration record at the One-Stop Site, but they are not allowed to change their party affiliation during the One-Stop Voting period that precedes a partisan primary.

Election Day

The General Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, and polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Note that the polling place in Frisco has been moved from the Fire House to the Dare County Emergency Medical Services building.

Sample Ballot

Click here to see a sample ballot for the Nov. 4 general election:
http://www.darenc.com/depts/BOE/sample.pdf

For more information

Visit the Dare County Board of Elections Web site at http://www.darenc.com/depts/BOE/index.asp