Early voting in North Carolina began on Oct. 17 and will run until Nov. 2 to elect the President, Governor, and various other government positions.
The 2024 general election will take place on Nov. 5. However, voting on general election day has become North Carolina’s least popular type of voting. Instead, North Carolina residents have turned to early voting, providing them with more time and flexibility as to when to vote. Over 1 million North Carolinians have voted early this election cycle, and you can too.
What is Early Voting
The term “early voting” encapsulates both voting by mail via absentee ballots that are sent in before election day and ballots cast in open early voting sites prior to the first Tuesday in Nov. The latter is the more common use of the term. North Carolina voters tend to vote early more commonly than the rest of the nation.
Since early voting started, NC residents have queued at their designated voting sites to cast their ballots. Early voting ballots are counted the same way as general elections. The votes on ballots cast before Nov. 5 are counted at the same time as general election ballots. Early voting is not fraudulent, nor does it put your votes at risk of being miscounted.
The only notable difference between the early voting process and the election day voting process is the sticker you get for submitting your ballot. A North Carolina sixth grader designed the Wake County early voting sticker:
It is sometimes suggested to voters to join early voting lines in order to avoid large crowds on Nov. 5. Additionally, it is far easier to fix potential issues with your registration or the handling and submission of your ballot in the low-pressure environment of early voting sites. Voting early takes the time-crunch out of the voting process, and minimizes voting day stress for both the voter and election officials in your local polling places. For a first-time voter, early voting is a method to familiarize yourself with the voting process without the stress of huge crowds and overwhelmed election workers.
How to Make Sure You Are Registered to Vote
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has created a website that allows you to confirm whether or not you are registered to vote. The website also provides other information including your assigned polling location, jurisdictions, and voter history. If you are unsure whether or not you are registered to vote in this upcoming election, you can check your registration status here.
If you are not currently registered to vote in Wake County, you can register to vote at an early voting location, and vote promptly after. You can also change your name and address at an early voting site prior to voting.
How and Where to Vote Early
This year, there are 22 early voting sites in Wake County. The Wake County Board of Elections keeps a record of the current wait time at each site in Wake County. You must vote at a site within your county of residence. The voting site closest to Enloe High School is the Southeast Raleigh YMCA, located at 1436 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
All early voting sites are open during posted times until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 2. After this date, the only remaining opportunity to vote will be during open poll times on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
When you get to the polls, there will most likely be a line. Prepare for this by bringing snacks and water while you wait to vote. While this line may be long, it will be easier to pass through than the one on general election day. Once you make it inside the polling place, they will check your registration (have your valid, unexpired government ID ready) and give you a ballot. You will fill out the ballot in private, whether online or on paper, and submit it to be counted. After this, you have successfully voted! You can then collect your sticker.
Consider voting early in this election cycle, even if early voting isn’t for you, everyone who is eligible is encouraged to send in their ballots on Nov. 5 and make their voices heard.
Happy Voting!
Sources:
“Benefits of Voting Early — Tri Partisan Canvas.” Tri Partisan Canvas, www.tripartisancanvas.com/benefits-of-voting-early.
“Early Voting.” Wake County Government, www.wake.gov/departments-government/board-elections/election-information/early-voting.
Frothingham, Sunny, et al. “2020 Voter Turnout Report.” Democracy North Carolina, 2020, democracync.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DemNC-2020-Voter-Turnout-Report-2022.07.01.pdf.
“North Carolina Tops 1 Million Votes Cast.” NCSBE, 20 Oct. 2024, www.ncsbe.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/20/north-carolina-tops-1-million-votes-cast.
“View My Voter Information.” Wake County Government, www.wake.gov/departments-government/board-elections/voter-information/view-my-voter-information.
Vote Early in Person | NCSBE. www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-early-person.
“Wait Tracker – Gallery – Airtable.” Airtable, airtable.com/appAL6KsUEvshj4br/shrQkIIFla4bjdGzh/tbl0siEKfqhV1y6F8.