WS Chronicle

By Howard Pearre

Voting absentee by mail is an option available to any North Carolina citizen. You do not need a reason to vote absentee other than simply preferring to vote this way. And, if you request an absentee ballot and later decide you’d rather vote in person on primary election day, March 5, or during the early voting period, Feb. 15 – March 2, you can simply destroy the absentee ballot and vote in person. 

There are two important changes to the mail-in absentee voting procedure from the election in 2022. 

One, just as you now have to show a photo ID to vote in person, you must include a copy of a photo ID (or ID Exception Form) with your absentee ballot. Most people can do this by sending in a copy of their drivers license, but a “non-operator ID” from the Department of Motor Vehicles or a free voter ID issued by the county board of elections, are among the other types of ID that are acceptable. The list of approved photo IDs can be found at the state board of elections’ website, NCSBE.gov.  On that home page, do a search for ACCEPTABLE IDs

Two, there is no grace period for mail-in ballots as there was in 2022. You have to make sure the ballot is delivered to the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on primary election day, March 5 – not just postmarked by that date. Absentee ballots should be sent in as soon as possible to assure they are received on time and counted. 

Here are the steps to vote absentee:

1. Obtain and submit an official Absentee Ballot Request form. You can do this online by searching for and selecting NC ABSENTEE BALLOT PORTAL in Google. At the bottom of the page, select the box that says “Option 1 – Request an Absentee Ballot.” Complete the form and submit it online. 

Or, you can get and submit a paper request form. Search for 2024 NC ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORM in Google, print the form, complete it, and mail or hand deliver it to the Forsyth County Board of Elections office at 201 N. Chestnut St., Winston-Salem, NC  27101. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on Feb. 27, one week before the primary. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call the board of elections at 336-703-2800 and ask that a request form be mailed to you.

2. Receive the ballot by U.S. Mail. The package will include the official ballot, an official return envelope, an ID Exception Form, and instructions. You cannot pick up a ballot in person.
3. Arrange for two witnesses to watch as you fill out the ballot. The witnesses’ job is not to see who you are voting for, but simply to attest that you are the voter. One witness may be your spouse. You only need one witness if he or she is a notary public. Witnesses will need to sign the envelope.
4. Select your candidates and mark the ballot. Don’t skip the down-ballot races. These are the folks who will decide when the brush on your street is picked up, where and when your kids go to school, and if school bus drivers, detention officers and sanitation workers will get raises.
5. Enclose your ballot in the official envelope along with a copy of your photo ID, seal it, and have the witnesses sign it. If you are unable to include a copy of your ID with the ballot, you can complete and include the ID Exception Form.
6. Affix three “Forever” stamps and mail it. Or, you or a near relative or legal guardian can hand deliver it to the board of elections office or early voting site. A near relative is your spouse, brother, sister, parent, child, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law.

If you have a disability and need assistance mailing your ballot, you may have an individual who you trust take the sealed envelope containing your ballot to a mailbox. The individual taking your sealed ballot to a mailbox must sign the Voter Assistant Certification on the back of the ballot envelope.

7. Once you have submitted your absentee ballot, you can track its status by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax. Search for NC BALLOTTRAX in Google.

For detailed instructions about voting by mail, go to the state board of elections’ website NCSBE.gov and do a search for VOTE BY MAIL.

Voting is your right.. Take it seriously. Carefully follow these steps to make sure your vote counts.

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 board member with Winston-Salem Writers.