Early Voting For Nov. 8 Election Kicks Off Thursday, Oct. 20
|
Tag Archive for: #ncstateboardofelections
State Board Of Elections Offers Reminders About Voter Registration Process
-information courtesy of the N.C. State Board of Elections
Elections officials say the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is next Friday, Oct. 14.
Individuals who miss that deadline, however, may register and vote at the same time during the one-stop early voting period, which begins Oct. 20 and ends Nov. 5. County-by-county early voting sites and schedules are available at the State Board of Elections’ One-Stop Early Voting Site Search.
To register, eligible individuals have the following options:
- If you have a North Carolina driver’s license or other DMV identification, you may register to vote online.
- Any eligible resident can complete a Voter Registration Application in Englishor Spanish on paper and return it to their county board of elections office by 5 p.m. Oct. 14.
If an application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if it is postmarked on or before Oct. 14. If the postmark is missing or unclear, the application will be processed if it is received in the mail no later than 20 days before the election. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election.
If submitted by fax or email, the application must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 14, and a hard copy of the document must be delivered to the county board office by 20 days before the election.
“We encourage all eligible individuals to register to vote and make their voice heard in 2022,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “It’s easy, and there’s still time, either through the regular process or at any one-stop early voting location in your county.”
North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day, unless they become eligible after the Oct.14 registration deadline due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction.
Seventeen-year-olds who will be 18 years old by the general election on Nov. 8 are eligible to register and vote.
To register to vote, a person must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Live in the county of his/her registration, and have lived there for at least 30 days before the date of the election;
- Be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote; AND
- Not be in jail or prison for a felony conviction.
Updating Your Voter Registration
Voters who need to update their existing voter registration may use the DMV website or a regular voter registration application to do so.
Those with a North Carolina driver’s license or other DMV identification may update their residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the DMV online service, but may not change their name through that service.
If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by Oct. 14. Updates to name, address (if within the county), and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to your county board of elections. If a voter is using the paper form to update their residential address to a new county, they must return the paper form by mail or in person.
Registered voters may also update an existing registration at a one-stop early voting site during the early voting period.
See more Voter Registration Resources in North Carolina.
Officials Begin Mailing Absentee Ballots To Signal Countdown To Nov. 8 Election
-information courtesy of N.C. State Board of Elections
Beginning today, North Carolina’s county boards of elections wile begin mailing absentee ballot to voters who request them for the 2022 general election, signaling the start of voting midterm elections.
Election Day is 61 days away – November 8.
Contests in this election include a U.S. Senate seat, all 14 U.S. House seats, two seats on the N.C. Supreme Court, four seats on the NC Court of Appeals, all 170 seats in the N.C. General Assembly and numerous judicial and local seats across the state.
As of Thursday, Sept. 8, more than 53,000 N.C. voters already have requested an absentee ballot for the general election. The state currently has more than 7.35 million registered voters.
County Boards of Elections are busy registering new voters, preparing ballots, testing voting equipment, hiring and training poll workers and preparing early voting sites and Election Day precincts, among other responsibilities, according to a press statement from the executive director of the State Board of Elections Karen Brinson Bell.
“We encourage all eligible North Carolinians to register to vote and to make a plan now about when and where they will cast their ballot in 2022,” Bell said in a press statement issued Thursday. “Your state and county elections officials are here to provide accurate information to help you safely and securely exercise your right to vote. We will make sure your vote counts.”
Sample ballots are available through the State Board’s Voter Search tool. Voters should locate their voter record and scroll down to the “Your Sample Ballot” section. (Note: Sample ballots are posted by county as soon as they are available.)
How to Request a Ballot
In North Carolina, all registered voters may request an absentee-by-mail ballot. Voters may do so:
- Online at the C. Absentee Ballot Portal.On the portal, select “Option 1 — Request an Absentee Ballot.”
- On paper using the English N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (fillable PDF)or the Spanish N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (fillable PDF).
Voters requesting a ballot must provide their date of birth and one of the following to verify their identity:
- North Carolina driver’s license number or NCDMV-issued identification card number; or
- Last four digits of Social Security number.
The request form must be signed by either the voter or the voter’s near relative, legal guardian or person assisting the voter due to a disability. A typed signature is not allowed.
The paper absentee ballot request form can be mailed or returned in person to your county board of elections. Your county board of elections must receive the completed and signed absentee request form by 5 p.m. Tuesday, November 1.
For more information, see Vote By Mail and Detailed Instructions to Vote By Mail.
Also starting Friday, the absentee ballot portal will open for military and overseas voters, as well as visually impaired voters, to receive and return their absentee ballot through the online service.
Click North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal for more information and Military and Overseas Voting to learn more about this process.
Absentee voting is safe and secure. For more information on the security of absentee voting, see Statement About Absentee Ballot Security in North Carolina.
Important Dates and Deadlines: 2022 General Election
- Tuesday, September 13: State Board meets to adopt early voting sites and schedules for more than a dozen counties that have not confirmed those schedules yet. Details: State Board Meeting: September 13, 2022 | NCSBE
- Friday, October 14: Regular voter registration deadline for voters who want to vote on Election Day. Details: How to Register.
- Thursday, October 20: One-stop, in-person early voting begins. Eligible individuals may register and vote at any one-stop early voting site in their county. For early voting sites and schedules, see One-Stop Early Voting Site Search.
- Tuesday, November 1: Absentee ballot request deadline. The State Board encourages voters to request their absentee ballot as early as possible to ensure enough time to complete and return the ballot.
- Saturday, November 5: In-person early voting and registration ends at 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 8: Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters should go to their designated Election Day polling place. Find your polling place through the Voter Search Absentee ballots received after 5 p.m. November 8 must be postmarked by Election Day and received by mail by 5 p.m. Monday, November 14. Ballots withouta postmark must be received by Nov. 8.
- Friday, Nov. 18: County canvass day; results are certified at the county level.
- Tuesday, Nov. 29: State canvass day; final results are certified statewide.
State Court Of Appeals: Felons May Register To Vote In NC – For Now
-Information courtesy of the N.C. State Board of Elections
Starting today – July 27, 2022 – an individual serving a felony sentence who is not in jail or prison may register to vote and vote. An individual must also have resided in North Carolina for at least 30 days prior to the election, be a U.S. citizen, and be at least 18 years old by the next general election.
Previously, under a North Carolina statute, a person serving a felony sentence could not register to vote or vote, whether they were in or out of prison, until they completed that sentence. This meant that felons serving probation, post-release supervision, or parole were not able to register or vote, until they completed their term of supervision.
Earlier this year, however, a North Carolina superior court determined that denying voting rights to people serving their felony sentences outside of jail or prison violates the state constitution. This decision has been appealed; however, while it is on appeal, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has ordered that the decision should go into effect as of July 27, 2022.
This means that, for the time being, any person serving a felony sentence outside of prison or jail is eligible to register to vote and vote. Those in jail or prison for a felony conviction are not allowed to register or vote. If a person is in jail awaiting trial for a felony but has not yet been convicted, they retain their voting rights. In North Carolina, a person never loses their voting rights for a misdemeanor conviction.
As of July 27, the State Board will update its website and voter registration forms and other voting-related documents to reflect this new information on felon eligibility. The agency will update this information upon any further order of the courts.
County Boards of Elections Begin Regular Voter List Maintenance Processes
— press release
RALEIGH, N.C. – In 2021, county boards of elections across North Carolina will conduct several important and required processes designed to keep the state’s voter rolls accurate and up to date.
These routine processes are required by state and federal laws. Accurate voter rolls are maintained by removing voters who have moved or died or are otherwise ineligible to vote in that jurisdiction.
Voter roll list maintenance is important because it ensures ineligible voters are not included on poll books, reduces the possibility for poll worker error and decreases opportunities for fraud.
As a result of these processes, the number of North Carolina voter registrations will decrease in the coming months. As of January 9, nearly 7.2 million voters were registered in the state.
[See Voter Registration Statistics]
[See “Maintaining the Voter Registration Database in North Carolina.” Updated July 27, 2017]
“The removal of voters who have moved and are no longer eligible to vote in that jurisdiction is a routine and important aspect of elections administration,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Before any voter’s registration is canceled, the county boards of elections attempt to contact the voter to allow them to confirm or update their registration.”
The following are details about three of the many list maintenance processes the county boards of elections will complete in 2021:
Biennial List Maintenance (No-contact process)
In the early part of every odd-numbered year, if a county board of elections has had no contact with a voter for two federal election cycles – a total of four years – and the voter has not voted during that time, it will send the voter a forwardable address confirmation mailing. The voter will be required to return the confirmation mailing within 30 days.
If the voter does not return the mailing, or the U.S. Postal Service returns it to the county board as undeliverable, then the voter’s record will be marked “inactive” in the state’s voter registration database. Inactive voters are still registered voters. If an inactive voter shows up to vote, the person will be asked to verify their address and update it, if necessary.
County boards will send mailings this year to voters with whom there has been no contact since October 12, 2018. Counties have started printing and mailing these notices, which must go out by April 15. More than 450,000 of these mailings are expected to be sent out statewide in 2021.
The registrations of these voters will be canceled if they do not confirm their registration by 2023.
Removal of Inactive Voters
County boards of elections also have begun to remove certain “inactive” voters from the rolls. Voters will be removed from registration lists this year after being sent a no-contact mailing in 2016. Any voter removed in this way would not have had any contact with their county board of elections for four federal election cycles, not voted in any election during that time and not responded to a confirmation mailing.
The State Board estimates about 380,000 inactive voters will be removed from the voter rolls in 2021.
Any removed registrant must be reinstated if the voter appears to vote and gives oral or written affirmation that the voter has not moved out of the county and has maintained residence continuously within the county. These voters’ votes will be counted absent evidence that they moved out of the county.
Voters may check their registration status at any time using the State Board’s Voter Search Tool: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.
National Change of Address (NCOA) Mailings
In January and July of each year, the State Board provides the 100 county boards of elections with change of address data from the U.S. Postal Service. County boards must send voters in this dataset postcard mailings to the new address to confirm whether they have an unreported change of address for voting purposes.
These mailings allow voters to update their names or addresses within a county or notify the board of elections of a move outside of that county. The voter is asked to respond to the mailing within 30 days. If the voter does not respond, the voter will be mailed a traditional address confirmation notice to their existing mailing address.
If the voter does not respond to that notice within 30 days, the voter’s registration status will be changed to “inactive.”
If a voter is deceased, a near relative may use the mailing to report the death so the county board can cancel the registration.
Additional List Maintenance Efforts
N.C. elections officials also routinely remove voters who have died from the voter rolls. Death notifications are made available by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. County boards of elections also regularly remove voters who are convicted of felonies, using records from the N.C. Department of Public Safety and U.S. attorneys’ offices.
To learn more about registering to vote in North Carolina, visit: https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering.
N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles customers may register or update their registration online here: https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx.
Counties Complete Recount in Supreme Court Race; Newby Leads by 401 Votes
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
All 100 North Carolina counties have completed the statewide recount in the North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice contest.
After the machine recount, Republican Paul Newby leads Democrat Cheri Beasley by 401 votes out of nearly 5.4 million cast in that race.
“The recount showed minor differences from canvassed vote totals, but did not change the outcome of the contest,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We appreciate the hard work of the county boards of elections throughout the recount process.”
When the recount was requested, the margin between the candidates stood at 406 votes, favoring Newby. Several counties subsequently recanvassed, at which point the margin was 416 votes, favoring Newby.
After the recount, the margin is now 401 votes, favoring Newby.
Minor differences are expected with any recount, as different machines may read stray marks differently.
Pursuant to state law, within 24 hours, Beasley, as the second-place candidate, may demand a hand-to-eye recount in a random sample of 3% of voting sites in each county. The State Board will hold a drawing to determine the random samples.
If the results of a hand-to-eye recount differ from the previous results within those precincts to the extent that extrapolating the amount of the change to the entire state (based on the proportion of ballots recounted to the total votes cast for that office) would result in the reversing of the results, then a statewide hand-to-eye recount of all ballots would be conducted.
Meanwhile, both Supreme Court candidates have filed a total of more than 100 election protests that are either scheduled for consideration by the county boards of elections or have already been heard at the county level and appealed to the State Board. The State Board plans to hear the appeals once the county boards have completed the proceedings.
Here are the protests: https://dl.ncsbe.gov/?prefix=Requests/2020/2020 General Protest Filings/
Here are the appeals: https://dl.ncsbe.gov/?prefix=Requests/2020/2020 General Protest Filings/
For 2020 election results, go here: NCSBE Contest Results.
For recount results, go here: 2020 Statewide Recount Results.
Ballot Count Changes by County
| County | Beasley | Newby |
|---|---|---|
| ALAMANCE | +14 | +15 |
| ALEXANDER | 0 | 0 |
| ALLEGHANY | 0 | 0 |
| ANSON | +1 | +1 |
| ASHE | 0 | -2 |
| AVERY | +1 | -3 |
| BEAUFORT | +1 | -6 |
| BERTIE | -2 | 0 |
| BLADEN | 0 | 0 |
| BRUNSWICK | -2 | 0 |
| BUNCOMBE | +2 | +2 |
| BURKE | +1 | +2 |
| CABARRUS | -3 | -2 |
| CALDWELL | -3 | -3 |
| CAMDEN | +2 | +2 |
| CARTERET | +1 | -1 |
| CASWELL | 0 | +4 |
| CATAWBA | -21 | -22 |
| CHATHAM | +1 | +5 |
| CHEROKEE | 0 | 0 |
| CHOWAN | 0 | 0 |
| CLAY | 0 | -1 |
| CLEVELAND | 0 | 0 |
| COLUMBUS | -2 | 0 |
| CRAVEN | 0 | -6 |
| CUMBERLAND | -4 | 0 |
| CURRITUCK | 0 | 0 |
| DARE | 0 | +1 |
| DAVIDSON | +9 | +5 |
| DAVIE | -1 | 0 |
| DUPLIN | +2 | +1 |
| DURHAM | -3 | +1 |
| EDGECOMBE | -3 | 0 |
| FORSYTH | +30 | -26 |
| FRANKLIN | 0 | 0 |
| GASTON | -1 | -2 |
| GATES | 0 | +1 |
| GRAHAM | 0 | 0 |
| GRANVILLE | -1 | -1 |
| GREENE | 0 | 0 |
| GUILFORD | +2 | +5 |
| HALIFAX | -2 | +3 |
| HARNETT | +3 | -2 |
| HAYWOOD | +1 | -4 |
| HENDERSON | 0 | -2 |
| HERTFORD | 0 | 0 |
| HOKE | -5 | -3 |
| HYDE | 0 | +1 |
| IREDELL | -3 | -2 |
| JACKSON | 0 | 0 |
| JOHNSTON | -6 | +4 |
| JONES | +1 | -1 |
| LEE | -2 | -2 |
| LENOIR | -4 | -1 |
| LINCOLN | -1 | 0 |
| MACON | -3 | -2 |
| MADISON | -1 | 0 |
| MARTIN | +6 | 0 |
| MCDOWELL | 0 | -1 |
| MECKLENBURG | -8 | -1 |
| MITCHELL | -1 | 0 |
| MONTGOMERY | 0 | -2 |
| MOORE | 0 | +5 |
| NASH | +2 | 0 |
| NEW HANOVER | 0 | 0 |
| NORTHAMPTON | 0 | 0 |
| ONSLOW | -3 | -2 |
| ORANGE | -2 | -3 |
| PAMLICO | +1 | 0 |
| PASQUOTANK | -2 | 0 |
| PENDER | +2 | 0 |
| PERQUIMANS | +7 | +8 |
| PERSON | +7 | +9 |
| PITT | 0 | -3 |
| POLK | 0 | 0 |
| RANDOLPH | -2 | -2 |
| RICHMOND | 0 | 0 |
| ROBESON | 0 | 0 |
| ROCKINGHAM | -3 | -1 |
| ROWAN | -6 | -5 |
| RUTHERFORD | +6 | +13 |
| SAMPSON | -1 | -1 |
| SCOTLAND | 0 | +1 |
| STANLY | +2 | -1 |
| STOKES | 0 | 0 |
| SURRY | 0 | 0 |
| SWAIN | -2 | -2 |
| TRANSYLVANIA | -1 | +2 |
| TYRRELL | 0 | 0 |
| UNION | +1 | -1 |
| VANCE | -1 | 0 |
| WAKE | -13 | -6 |
| WARREN | -1 | +1 |
| WASHINGTON | -1 | 0 |
| WATAUGA | -2 | +5 |
| WAYNE | -1 | +2 |
| WILKES | +1 | -5 |
| WILSON | -5 | -7 |
| YADKIN | +1 | +3 |
| YANCEY | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Total | -20 | -35 |
Values in each column represent [County’s Recount # minus County’s Final Canvass #].
Note: Some counties recanvassed after November 13.
State Board Certifies Results from Historic 2020 General Election
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections
The bipartisan State Board of Elections on Tuesday voted to certify nearly all contests in the 2020 general election, including the presidential contest.
“Canvass” means the entire process of determining that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, culminating in the authentication of the official election results. The State Board canvasses the votes cast in statewide, multicounty, and judicial contests and authenticates the count in every ballot item in the counties by determining that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly.
This certification came after the 100 county boards of elections certified results at the county level and after a series of post-election audits by election officials verified the counts.
“Today, we officially recorded the voices of more than 5.5 million North Carolinians in certifying this historic election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections.
More than 5.5 million registered voters cast ballots in the election, or 75.4 percent of registered voters.
To view the canvass documents, go here: State Board Meeting Documents 11/24/2020: Canvass.
To view the post-election audit report, go here: November 2020 Election Audit Results.
The following contests were not canvassed or authenticated due to pending election protests:
- Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court
- District Court Judge – 10F (Wake County)
- N.C. House District 36 (Wake County)
- Hoke County Board of Education
- Wayne County Register of Deeds
Tuesday’s state canvass was the culmination of an extremely busy year for election officials across North Carolina.
Election workers pulled off a successful election with the highest voter turnout in North Carolina history and a staggering increase in absentee-by-mail voting. They did so while protecting themselves and millions of voters from a deadly virus, ensuring that no COVID-19 clusters were tied to voting sites in North Carolina.
“From the Grape Creek precinct in Cherokee County to the Stumpy Point precinct in Dare County, election officials worked countless hours in 2020 so voters could cast their ballot without fear of disease,” Brinson Bell said.
Certificates of election will be issued to prevailing candidates on or about November 30, unless an election protest is pending.
Historic 2020 General Election by the Numbers
7.36 million: Registered NC voters (most in NC history)
5.55 million: Ballots cast (most in NC history)
75.35: Percent turnout of registered voters (most in modern NC history)
1 million: Absentee by-mail ballots cast (most in NC history)
471: Early voting sites (most in NC history)
77,887: Early voting hours (most in NC history)
348,000: In-person early votes cast on October 15 (most ever in a single day)
3.63 million: In-person early votes cast (most in NC history)
900,000: Approximate ballots cast on Election Day (November 3)
2,660: Precincts open on Election Day
57,017: Poll workers recruited through Democracy Heroes program
14 million: Items of personal protective equipment delivered to county boards of elections
6 million: Single-use pens delivered to county boards
0: Clusters of COVID-19 tied to voting sites in North Carolina
County Boards of Elections Complete Post-Election Audits
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections
As a statewide recount for a North Carolina Supreme Court contest begins in North Carolina, all 100 county boards of elections recently completed hand-to-eye audits for the 2020 general election, an important step in confirming accurate election results.
Pursuant to state law, the bipartisan county boards conduct a hand-to-eye audit of ballots from randomly selected voting groups. In a presidential election like 2020, the audited contest is always the president of the United States.
The audit is a comparison of the machine counts of ballots with hand-to-eye counts to ensure voting equipment recorded voters’ choices accurately. The voting systems and software of two companies – ES&S and Hart InterCivic – are certified for use in North Carolina. All counties use voting equipment from one of those companies.
Statewide, more than 150 Election Day precincts and 30 early voting sites were audited. Also, more than a dozen counties conducted a hand-to-eye audit of all mail-in absentee ballots.
Of the 200 voting groups audited, only 13 audits found any difference between the machine count and the human count, and all discrepancies were three votes or fewer. Most differences were attributed to human error, such as a voter marking outside of the bubble, or to human error during the hand count itself.
“We are glad to see that no significant issues were found during the audit,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “This successful audit is a testament to our elections officials and to the elections equipment used throughout the state. North Carolinians can be confident that their votes count.”
The State Board of Elections office conducts a series of post-election audits and investigations, where necessary, to ensure the integrity of election results. For more information on election security and audits, visit Post-Election Procedures and Audits.
The State Board will certify statewide results for most federal, statewide, multi-district and judicial contests during the state canvass at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 24. Results in each contest are not considered official until certified by the State Board.
After state canvass, the board of elections with jurisdiction over each contest will issue a certificate of election to the prevailing candidate.
NC Counties Finalize Election Results; Several Steps Remain in Process
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections
About 10 county boards of elections in North Carolina are meeting early this week to finalize their 2020 election results, with a few counties correcting discrepancies in election results discovered during the post-election canvass process.
Results reported on election night are always unofficial. Canvass is the official process of determining the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the authentication of the official results.
Most county boards of elections certified their results late last week. However, a few are still working with State Board staff to ensure all votes are counted properly before they complete their canvass. Counties may delay canvass for a “reasonable time” if all aspects of the canvass process were not completed on Friday.
As counties continue their canvass processes, unofficial results will be updated accordingly on the State Board’s Election Results Dashboard.
“The canvass process exists to ensure votes are counted accurately,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “This is the process working as it is supposed to work. This election will not be certified until we are certain the results are accurate.”
Please see below for information about counties that will meet early this week to complete their canvasses.
Recounts
After all counties have completed their canvasses, any mandatory recounts would be conducted by county boards of elections. For statewide contests, the vote difference must be 10,000 votes or fewer for a candidate who is the runner-up to demand a recount. For non-statewide contests, the difference between the candidates must be 1 percent or less of the total votes cast in the contest.
Requests for recounts in most single-county contests are due by 5 p.m. Monday. Such requests in statewide and multicounty contests are due by noon Tuesday.
If a recount is demanded, the State Board of Elections office would issue a schedule, and the counties would conduct recounts individually during open meetings.
Counties would re-run every ballot through a tabulator and the results of the recount would be compared to the results of the original count.
State Board Audits
Prior to state canvass scheduled for November 24, the State Board conducts various audits of election results, including the “Voter History Audit.” Here’s how that audit is conducted:
When a voter checks in to vote at an early voting site or an Election Day polling place, or submits an absentee by-mail ballot, the voter receives a voter history record for that election.
When ballots are run through tabulators, tabulation software provides election return data that identifies the number of ballots cast in that election.
The “Voter History Audit” compares the “voter history” number with the number of physical ballots cast in that election. These two numbers should generally match, but may be slightly off for valid reasons, such as if a voter checks in at a polling place and then decides not to vote.
This audit is designed to identify certain problems or fraud, such as ballot stuffing, erroneous manual entries, user error, or certain ballot coding issues.
The State Board conducts additional audits summarized here: https://www.ncsbe.gov/about-elections/election-security/post-election-p…
The State Board will not certify results unless evidence from the audits show the results are accurate.
State Canvass
The State Board of Elections will certify statewide results for all federal, statewide, multi-district and judicial contests at a public meeting held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. Results in each contest are not considered official until certified by the State Board. After state canvass, the board of elections with jurisdiction over each contest will issue a certificate of election to the prevailing candidate.
Electoral College
The Electoral College meets at noon on December 14. Electors’ names will be announced when the Secretary of State receives certified election results from the State Board and notifies the governor of the electors’ names. For more about the Electoral College, go here: https://www.sosnc.gov/divisions/electoral_college.
Four Facts About the Vote-Counting Process in NC
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections
The State Board of Elections is releasing the following facts about the post-election vote-counting process in North Carolina, in part to address rapidly spreading misinformation. These processes are required by law.
- It’s the Law. The post-election “canvass” process occurs after every election. Canvass is the entire process of ensuring votes have been counted correctly and required audits have been completed, culminating in the certification of results during meetings of every county board of elections. By law, these meetings will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, November 13. Also pursuant to state law, the State Board of Elections will meet at 11 a.m. November 24 to finalize the results. N.C.G.S. § 163-182.5.
- All Eligible Ballots Must Be Counted. In 2020, county boards of elections must count absentee by-mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day that arrive in the mail by 5 p.m. November 12. Ballots from military and overseas voters received by 5 p.m. November 12 will also be counted, as required by state law. N.C.G.S. § 163-258.12. During the post-election period, county boards also conduct research to determine whether to wholly or partially count provisional ballots. All eligible provisional ballots are counted during the canvass process. N.C.G.S. § 163-182.2. The post-election period ensures that the ballots of eligible voters will be counted as long as they meet statutory deadlines and comply with all other laws. This allows more eligible voters to lawfully exercise their right to vote.
- Results Must Be Audited. After each election, the State Board randomly selects two precincts in every county, where paper ballots must be counted by hand for the highest contest on the ballot – the presidential race in 2020 – and compared with the tabulated results. Called the “sample hand-to-eye count,” this audit recounts the ballots in the random precincts to ensure reliability of machine-tabulated results. Bipartisan teams at county boards of elections have been conducting these audits during the past week. The State Board of Elections conducts additional audits to verify the accuracy of the count. The results of all audits will be submitted to the State Board as part of the final certification of the election. For more information, see the Post-Election Procedures and Audits webpage.
- Elections Officials Do Not “Call” Elections. Many North Carolinians have contacted elections officials to ask why certain contests have been “called” for a particular candidate, while others have not. The state and county boards of elections have never – and will never – “call” or project a race for any candidate. Projections are made by media and/or candidates using unofficial results, typically based on the vote difference and the number of votes yet to be counted in a contest. In some cases, including the North Carolina governor’s race and North Carolina U.S. Senate race, the trailing candidates “conceded” when they realized they could not make up the vote differential with the ballots still uncounted. The State Board will certify final results on November 24. After that, the boards of elections will issue certificates of election to the prevailing candidates. N.C.G.S. § 163-182.15.