State Board improves absentee ballot request process with new form

RALEIGH — As mail-in absentee ballot requests surge in North Carolina, the State Board of Elections this week released an improved North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form for the Nov. 3 election.

[Through Aug. 18, nearly 300,000 absentee ballot requests have been received by county boards of elections across North Carolina. See charts below.]

Updates to the request form include a cleaner design and improved accessibility and use for all voters.

“This new form is more user friendly and one of many steps we have taken to make voting simpler for North Carolinians in the era of COVID-19,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Whether by mail or in-person, we want folks to vote in the manner they’re most comfortable with this fall.”

The absentee ballot request form can be mailed, emailed, faxed or returned in-person to your county board of elections.

The State Board also will launch an online absentee ballot request portal by Sept. 1. Through the portal, voters will be able to request a ballot completely online, with no need to print out or mail a request form.

Important Tips About Requesting a Ballot:

• No special circumstance or reason is needed to request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot. Any North Carolina registered voter may request and receive a mail-in absentee ballot for the 2020 general election.
• Although the request deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 27, the State Board encourages voters who wish to vote by mail to request a ballot as soon as possible. This will help voters avoid any problems caused by U.S. Postal Service delays.
• Your county board of elections will begin sending ballots on Sept. 4 to those who request them. If you have already requested a ballot and do not receive it between Sept. 15 and 20, email or call your county board of elections to ask about the status of your request.
• If you’ve already submitted a request form, please do not submit another one, even if you get one in the mail. Duplicate requests are burdensome for county boards of elections and may delay the processing of your request.
• Along with the new form, the previous State Absentee Ballot Request Form is still a valid form for the 2020 general election.

As always, North Carolina voters have three options for voting: mail-in absentee, in-person during the early voting period, and in-person on Election Day. Significant health safeguards will be in place for voters who cast their ballot in person.

Early Voting

The early voting period for the general election is Oct. 15 through Oct. 31. Eligible individuals may register and vote at the same time using same-day registration during the early voting period at any one-stop location in the county.

Election Day

Election Day is Nov. 3, 2020. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and voters should vote at their assigned precinct.