Questions about North Carolina’s absentee ballots? Well, we have some answers

Brian Gordon
bgordon@gannett.com
A worker prepares absentee ballots for mailing at the Wake County Board of Elections in Raleigh Thursday, Sept. 3.

Lukas Hoff, a graduate student in Carrboro, wasn’t used to North Carolina’s mail-in voting process. In 2016, he lived in Colorado where every registered voter automatically receives a mail ballot. This isn’t the case in North Carolina, where registered voters must request absentee ballots and then fill them out with a witness nearby.

“It’s a new system in North Carolina for me, and I wanted to be proactive and make sure I get an absentee ballot so that I don’t have to go to the polls in November,” he said.

After hearing his first ballot request was denied, Hoff was glad he had plenty of time to ask for a new form.

Election Day is still seven weeks away, but North Carolina voters like Hoff are already requesting and returning ballots. Earlier this month, the state kicked off the 2020 Election by mailing out absentee ballots. As of Sept. 16, the North Carolina State Board of Election has sent out more than 837,000 absentee ballots - all upon request - which is roughly 11% of the state’s registered voters. At this time in 2016, North Carolina voters had requested fewer than 60,000 absentee ballots.

Mail-in voting is important in normal elections and could be crucial this fall as a record number of North Carolinians will likely vote by mail during the pandemic. Doing it correctly is vital as more than 1,700 mail-in ballots have already been rejected this election.

We’ve complied a set of questions and answers to help you know how to request a mail ballot, fill out the ballot, and ensure the ballot gets counted in the 2020 Election.

I’d like to vote by mail. Where do I start?

First, make sure you’re registered to vote. The NCSBA lets you check your registration status online. If you’re not registered, you can fill out and submit a registration application by mail or through the state DMV’s online portal.

Once registered, it’s time to request an absentee ballot. North Carolina residents must request absentee ballots ahead of Election Day.

Absentee ballot request forms can be printed and mailed or completed online through the NCSBE absentee ballot request portal. The deadline to request absentee ballots is 5 p.m. Oct. 27.

On its website, the State Board of Elections “strongly encourages voters to request a ballot as soon as possible to avoid problems due to postal delays and to allow for time to correct any issues with your request.”

Does someone have to watch me fill out my absentee ballot?

Yes. Once your absentee request is approved, your county board of elections will send you a ballot. North Carolina law requires one witness observe each absentee voter as they fill out their ballots. Your witness is expected to be close enough to see you fill out your ballot, but not be so near that they can see who you’re voting for.

A witness must be 18 or older and can’t be a candidate in this election. People living in nursing homes or hospitals cannot have facility owners or employees be their witnesses.

Before sending in your ballot, your witness must complete a witness certification.

As of Sept. 16, 2% of North Carolina’s absentee ballots this election had been rejected due to “Witness Info Incomplete” which NCSBE spokesperson Patrick Gannon said, “is by far the main reason that ballots are not accepted so far.”

Anything else I need to do on my absentee ballot?

Yes. Make sure to sign the outside of the ballot’s return envelope.

When is the deadline to send in absentee ballots?

Ballots can be dropped off at early voting sites which will open Oct. 15 and operate until Oct. 31. People can also hand deliver ballots to their county board of elections offices any time before 5 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots that are to be mailed to the county board of elections must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3 and received by the close of business on Nov. 6.

North Carolina allows people to return the ballots of “near relatives,” which includes spouses, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, in-laws, stepparents, stepchildren, or legal guardians.

How will I know if my vote has been counted?

Last Friday, the state elections board introduced a new way to keep tabs on your ballot called BallotTrax. The service allows voters follow the statuses of both their absentee ballot requests and their actual ballots. Users can be notified when their ballot is received by their local board of elections. BallotTrax will also alert users if there is an issue with their ballot and be informed how they can fix it.

If you don’t want to use BallotTrax, voters can go to the NCSBE’s website to confirm their ballot has been accepted or they can reach out to their county board of elections.

What happens if my absentee ballot request or ballot is rejected?

In North Carolina’s March primary election, more than 280,000 absentee votes were rejected. Around 40% of those ballots could’ve been corrected if voters were given the chance according to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Common mistakes include leaving out required information or failing to have a witness’s signature.

Following a successful lawsuit this summer by the League of Women Voters, North Carolinians will now be able to correct any rejected absentee votes in the November Election.

County board of elections will contact voters if there are issues with their ballots and will provide voters with avenues to remedy their votes (through providing a new ballot or a “cure affidavit”). Corrected ballots must be returned by Election Day.

To allow time to address any ballot deficiencies, many advise voters to send their ballots early.

“I think it’s important to take care of your absentee ballot as soon as possible” said Sarah Palmer, president of the League of Women Voter’s Union County chapter. “The election is coming right on up and this is an important election.”

If I request an absentee ballot, can I still vote in-person if I never send in a mail ballot?

As long as you don’t mail in your absentee ballot, you can still vote in-person at early voting sites or on Election Day. For example, Palmer, who is over 80 years old, has applied for a mail-in ballot but hasn’t yet decided whether she’ll vote by mail or go to her voting station in-person.

I know I can’t vote twice, but how will officials know if someone votes by mail and also goes in-person?

Despite President Donald Trump’s recent encouragements in Wilmington, it’s a felony to vote twice in North Carolina.

In a Sept. 3 press release, NCSBE Director Karen Brinson Bell wrote, “There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevent people from double voting.”

On Election Day, everyone who voted by mail will be taken off the pollbook records. Bell pointed out the State Board of Elections has a team that investigates allegations of improper voting and performs post-election audits that reviews any instances of multiple voting.

Brian Gordon can be reached at bgordon@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @briansamuel92