WS Chronicle

By Howard Pearre

 In 2023, the N.C. State Board of Elections removed the names of more than a quarter million voters—264,416—who did not have a record of voting in the 2020 or 2022 elections, according to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. These did not include voters’ names that were removed because of moves, deaths, or felony convictions. 

While Election Day, Nov. 5, may still be several months away, now is a great time to make sure you are among the 7.2 million who are still registered to vote, rather than those who are not, and to check off other items on your Election Day prep to-do list.

It’s easy to check your status on the N.C. State Board of Elections website. Google search NC VOTER LOOKUP, select VOTER SEARCH, enter your first and last names, select SEARCH, and click on the name and address that matches your information. If you have a common name, you may have to enter more information. 

This will take you to your personal voter information which includes your status as “active” or “inactive.” If you are listed as “inactive” (or are not listed), you will need to submit a new voter registration form to the board of elections with your most current information to update your voter registration and bring it back to  active status.

ADDRESS CORRECT? While you’re at the site, make sure your registration includes your correct address. If you have moved since the last election, even across the street, you may have a new assigned polling place with different candidates on your ballot from the ones you would have had at your previous address. 

If you show up at the new polling place but haven’t notified the board of elections about your new address, the precinct officials will inform you of your options based on how long you have lived at your current address. If you’ve moved within 30 days, you will be told to return to your previous precinct to vote. If your move was before that, you’ll be told to return to your old precinct, obtain an authorization to vote form, and then return to the new precinct to vote. Either way, you will save yourself a hassle if you take care of this well before Election Day.

There are several ways you can update your registration: 

*You can go to the N.C. State Board of Elections website and search for a fillable voter registration form to complete, print it out, and mail it to the county board of elections. Be sure to read the four provisions in the last section where you’ll need to sign the form. Also, very important: include your phone number so an elections official can call you if there are any questions.

*Another way to update your registration is to obtain a form from your county board of elections office or another source. Complete it with your new and old addresses, sign it, and mail, fax, scan email, or hand carry it to the board of elections.

*A third way, if you have an N.C. driver’s license, is to update your registration online (or even register for the first time) by using the Division of Motor Vehicles website. Google search REGISTER TO VOTE NC ONLINE, select OFFICIAL NCDMV VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION-NCDOT, and follow the links to use this free service.  

You must do this at least 25 days before Election Day (no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 11).

*Finally, in case you miss the Oct. 11 deadline, there is a fourth option: go to any Forsyth County early voting location between Oct. 17 and Nov. 2 to make the updates (or register for the first time).

To update your registration at an early voting site, you will need to show a document, such as your driver’s license, a utility bill, or bank statement, that includes your name and new address. You can vote at the same time, but will also need to present a photo ID due to recent election law changes.

SAMPLE BALLOTS. Another task to take care of ahead of Election Day is to become knowledgeable of the candidates by reviewing your sample ballot. Google search NC VOTER LOOKUP and follow the same steps noted above to find your personal voter information. Select SAMPLE BALLOTS  (available in late August or early September) to see the candidates for races for your specific precinct.  

Also, don’t neglect getting to know the “down-ballot” candidates. While the major media outlets will provide plenty of information and advertising about the major races, the down-ballot races for state legislators, judges, and commissioners tend to get lost in the glare of the major races. But these are the candidates who will have direct bearing on our lives. Sidewalk repairs, property tax rates, speed limits, teacher pay, zoning, trash pickup, volunteer school assignment for our children, trash pick-up schedules, and statewide redistricting are issues down-ballot candidates will decide. 

Judges’ races often get little attention from media outlets. Look for the Judicial Voter Guide 2024 that will be sent to all registered voters by the state Board of Elections near the time of the election. This non-partisan guide provides basic information about judicial candidates’ experience and qualifications, along with statements from the candidates about themselves.

 Two other excellent non-partisan resources are the League of Women Voters’ VOTE411.ORG and BALLOTPEDIA.ORG. In addition to comparative information about candidates, Ballotpedia provides specific data about campaign contributions and spending.  

An informed and prepared voter is a smart voter. Voting is a right. Protect it by being a smart voter.

Howard Pearre retired after a career as a counselor and manager with N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has led training workshops on voter registration and is a member of Winston-Salem Writers.