Voting by mail in North Carolina? Here’s everything you need to know

The 2022 midterm elections are still over a month away, but voting has started in North Carolina — at least by mail.

In-person voting won’t start until Oct. 20, a few weeks ahead of Election Day itself on Nov. 8. But for those who just can’t wait, mail-in voting (sometimes called absentee voting) is already up and running.

It’s unlikely that nearly as many people this year will vote by mail as in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic inspired millions to do it for safety reasons. But for those who do want to use that option this year, whether again or for the first time, here’s what you need to know:

A brief election calendar

More details will follow below, but here are some important dates to keep in mind:

▪ Voter registration deadline: Oct. 14 (unless you plan to register in person during early voting)

▪ Early voting: Oct. 20-Nov. 3

▪ Deadline to request a mail-in ballot: Nov. 1

▪ Election Day: Nov. 8

▪ Deadline to get your ballot in the mail: On or before Election Day, Nov. 8

Register to vote, or update your address

If you’re already registered to vote at your current address, you can skip this section and head to the next. If you’re not sure, you can check your voter information online at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.

But for people who aren’t registered to vote or who have moved lately (whether it’s from out of state, or even inside the same county), then the first task is to get registered at the right address.

People who just need to update their address or party affiliation can do so through the DMV website. People who need to change their name can’t do that online, however, and will need to fill out a form and send it in.

For anyone who isn’t already registered to vote in North Carolina, more details can be found at ncsbe.gov/registering. But in general there are four main ways to do it:

▪ Through the DMV, either in person or online.

▪ Go to a “one-stop” polling place in your county, during early voting, to register and vote the same day.

▪ Pick up a form in person, at your county’s Board of Elections office.

▪ Print out a form, to fill out and send back to your county’s election board office.

For people who want to vote by mail, or who plan to vote on Election Day itself, the deadline to register to vote is Oct. 14.

But for anyone who misses that deadline, or just wants a different option, the ability to register in-person during early voting is important to remember. Early voting begins Oct. 20 and ends at 3 p.m. on Nov. 3.

How to request a mail-in ballot

In North Carolina, unlike some other states, anyone can vote by mail. No reasons or excuses needed.

Forms and more information can be found at www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail. But here are the basics:

To request a ballot, either fill out and deliver a physical ballot request form, or go online to votebymail.ncsbe.gov and pick the option you want.

The ballot request form must be submitted no later than Nov. 1, in order to give the state time to mail it to you before the election is over.

Make sure your ballot gets counted

There are two main reasons the state might reject someone’s ballot: They messed up when filling it out, or they didn’t put it in the mail in time.

And it happens more than some might think: In the 2020 primaries, for instance, the state rejected 15% of mail-in ballots that people tried to submit. So attention to detail is important. The rules require a mail-in ballot to be signed by two different witnesses, or just one witness if it’s notarized. And there are multiple places for the voter and witnesses to sign.

This year some errors will be easier to fix than in the past, due to a 2020 lawsuit that angered Republican leaders who accused Democrats of “collusion” in making the changes. Now, if someone signs their ballot in the wrong place, for example, or accidentally leaves out a part of their address, they could get the chance to redo it if there’s time.

In 2020, The N&O reported, thousands of people got the chance to fix errors on their ballots and try again.

As for the timing, there are two factors to keep in mind: All mail-in ballots must be in the mail and postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 8. And they must be in the hands of election officials soon after the election — although the exact date might change. It’s currently Nov. 14, although it may change to Nov. 11 due to an ongoing lawsuit from GOP leaders.

So while people can wait until Election Day to mail in their ballots, some may mail theirs earlier to play it safe and avoid any potential delays.

For those worried about the mail losing their ballots, the state has also partnered with a private company, BallotTrax, which offers an app people can use to track their ballot as it makes its way through the system. Sign up at northcarolina.ballottrax.net.

However, don’t put your ballot in the mail and then later go vote in person. Even though former Republican President Donald Trump encouraged his North Carolina supporters to do exactly that in 2020, it’s actually a felony.

For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it at https://campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts.