Tag Archive for: #ncstateboardofelections

NC State Board of Elections

State Board Reminds Voters Not to Photograph Their Ballots

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The State Board of Elections is reminding voters that North Carolina law prohibits taking photographs of or videotaping voted ballots. Please refer to N.C.G.S. § 163-166.3 for more information.

“Voters should not take a picture of their completed ballot, whether they vote in person or by mail,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We respect voters showing their pride in casting a ballot but ask that they do so in another manner.”

The State Board has received multiple complaints of photographed absentee ballots and has been alerted to additional violations on social media in recent weeks. If a voter has taken a picture of their ballot and shared the photo online, the voter should delete the photograph.

When voting in person, voters may have phones or electronic devices with them as long as those devices are not used to photograph or videotape a ballot or communicate with anyone via voice, text, email or any other method.

Photographing a marked ballot is illegal in part because such photographs could be used as proof of a vote for a candidate in a vote-buying scheme. Electronic communication while voting is prohibited because of limits on voter assistance and to prevent disruptions in the voting enclosure.

Voters may bring voting guides, notes and other materials into the voting booth. They also may use electronic devices to access a slate card or candidate information, provided they don’t use the devices to communicate with anyone.

NC State Board of Elections

Double Voting is a Violation of NC Law, Class I Felony

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The following is a message to North Carolina voters from Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections:

It is illegal to vote twice in an election. N.C.G.S. § 163-275(7) makes it a Class I felony for a voter, “with intent to commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time…in the same primary or election.” Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law.

There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevent people from double voting. Electronic pollbooks with information about who has already voted are used at every early voting site. If a voter tries to check in who has already voted, they will be prevented from voting a regular ballot. A voter will be offered a provisional ballot if they insist on voting, and this ballot will be researched after Election Day to determine whether it should be counted.

On Election Day, voters who have voted absentee are removed from the pollbook, which is updated before voting starts at 6:30 a.m. Absentee ballots that are received on Election Day are not counted until after the election, and this prevents double voting.

Also, the State Board conducts audits after each election that check voter history against ballots cast and would detect if someone tries to vote more than once in an election. Because absentee ballots and early voting ballots are retrievable, if someone tries to get around the system, their ballot can be retrieved and not counted, so it will not affect the outcome of an election.

The State Board has a dedicated investigations team that investigates allegations of double voting, which are referred to prosecutors when warranted.

If you request an absentee by-mail ballot but decide later that you would like to vote in person instead, you may. You should discard your absentee ballot. Do not send it back in.

If you have already placed your ballot in the mail but are not sure whether it has been accepted by your county board of elections, North Carolina offers a few ways to check the status of your absentee by-mail ballot without leaving your home.

Voters can:

  1. Check your voter record at the State Board’s Voter Search Tool to find out whether your ballot was accepted by your county board of elections. This information will appear in the voter record after a ballot has been accepted.
  2. Sign up for BallotTrax, when it launches in the next few days, to track your ballot through the system. BallotTrax is a new service that will allow voters to track their ballot through the mail and confirm receipt by the county board of elections, much like they can track their online order or pizza delivery. When it launches, a link will be available at NCSBE.gov.
  3. Contact your county board of elections if you have questions about ballot status.

The State Board office strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted. That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.

North Carolina elections officials encourage voters to request their ballot as soon as possible and return it as soon as they are ready to do so. By doing so, you can track your ballot and ensure your vote counts.

NC State Board of Elections

Advocacy Group Sends Invalid Absentee Ballot Request Forms to 80,000 NC Voters

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The State Board of Elections has learned that a voter advocacy group mailed about 80,000 absentee ballot request forms to North Carolina residents with voters’ information already filled out on the forms.

A state law passed last year prohibits election officials from accepting absentee ballot request forms pre-filled “partially or in whole,” and the State Board has instructed county boards of elections not to process such request forms.

The advocacy group, The Center for Voter Information (CVI) in Washington, D.C., halted additional mailings with pre-filled voter information after N.C. elections officials informed the group of the issue.

CVI plans to send about 400,000 additional mailings to N.C. residents, but they will include blank absentee ballot request forms, which are valid.

County boards of elections that receive an invalid absentee request form will send a letter to the voter informing them of the issue. The letter will include a blank request form for the voter to return.

The State Board urges voters to discard any absentee ballot request form they receive that includes pre-filled voter information.

CVI asked State Board staff to review a sample mailing in April, and State Board staff did not catch the pre-filled forms at that time. However, CVI sent some mailings before forwarding the final product to elections officials for review. Election officials discovered the issue after these mailings were sent to voters.

“We will do our best to review mailings and other voting information distributed by third parties when requested and when resources allow for it,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections. “However, it’s ultimately up to advocacy groups to ensure their mailings do not confuse voters or potentially affect their ability to vote in an election.”

All registered voters in North Carolina may request an absentee by-mail ballot. The official 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form is available for download from the State Board website. Voters may also pick up a request form from their county board of elections or call their county board to request a form.

For the November 3 general election, the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is October 27. Voters may request a ballot now. Starting in early September, ballots will be mailed to voters who request them.

NC State Board of Elections

State Board Investigating Possible Text Messaging Scam

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The State Board of Elections is investigating a possible scam targeting North Carolinians with unsolicited text messages regarding their voter registration status or asking them to register to vote.

Recipients of the text messages should not click on the link embedded in the text and delete any such text messages from their phone.

The link sends recipients to what purports to be Vote.org’s website, but Vote.org officials confirmed Thursday that they are not sending the text messages.

The State Board is investigating and will alert state and federal authorities about the issue.

The State and County Boards of Elections have received numerous calls and emails from concerned recipients of the text messages.

“We know these texts can be confusing to voters, and we take this situation very seriously,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We urge all North Carolinians to get information about voting and voter registration from trusted, reliable sources, including your state and county boards of elections.”

Voters can check their registration status at any time using the State Board voter lookup tool here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.

If you would like to register to vote, the voter registration application can be found here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Voter_Registration/NCVoterRegForm_06W.pdf.

For more information on voter registration in North Carolina, visit the State Board website at https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Registering-to-Vote.

Vote.org also released a statement on Thursday:

“We at Vote.org take voter integrity and protection very seriously and ask that voters reach out directly to officials if they believe they have been contacted without solicitation. Text messages received in the last week were not that of Vote.org. We will continue to protect your vote, stay in communication with the North Carolina State Board of Elections and encourage voters to reference state registration websites and our official platforms at Vote.org. All communications received from Vote.org are marked as being such and can be found on official platforms.”

NC State Board of Elections

Friday Marks Deadline to Register to Vote in Primary Election

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-Press Release, North Carolina State Board of Elections

The State Board of Elections is reminding residents that the deadline to register to vote in North Carolina in the 2020 primary election is Friday, February 7.

For more information about registering, visit ncsbe.gov/Voters/Registering-to-Vote.

Individuals who miss the regular voter registration deadline may still register and vote at any one-stop early voting site in their county during the early voting period, February 13-29. To see the early voting sites in your county, go here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/ossite/

At an early voting site, registered voters may update their address, but not their party affiliation. Registered voters who wish to change their party affiliation must do so by February 7.

 For more information about same-day registration, visit ncsbe.gov/Voting-Options/One-Stop-Early-Voting.

“The State Board encourages every eligible North Carolina resident to make sure they’re registered before the primary election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “This includes making any changes, such as address and party affiliation.”

 To confirm your registration status, use the State Board’s voter lookup tool.

To register, individuals must meet certain qualifications and complete a North Carolina Voter Registration Application in English or Spanish. Applications are available at the state and county boards of elections, public libraries, public high schools, college admissions offices and many state agencies.

Once completed, the applicant must sign the form, and mail it or return it in-person to their county board of elections. Voters who are already registered may update their information by submitting a voter registration form by email, fax, mail, or in-person to their county board of elections.

To find the address of your local board of elections, use the county board lookup tool: vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo/.

Prospective voters must meet the following qualifications to register to vote:

  • Be a U.S. citizen;
  • Have been a resident of North Carolina, the county, and precinct for 30 days before the election;
  • Be at least 18 years old; 17-year-olds may register and vote in a primary election if they will be 18 at the time of the general election; and 
  • Not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction (including probation or parole). (Citizenship and voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of the sentence. No special document is needed.)

Note: Voters are not required to show photo ID for the March 2020 primary election. In a December 31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the court.

I Voted Sticker

Absentee By-Mail Voting Begins Monday for NC Primary Election

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

Beginning Monday, January 13, 2020, absentee by-mail ballots for the March primary election will be mailed to voters who request them. Any registered voter in North Carolina may vote absentee by-mail.

Primary Election Day – when voters select the political party nominees to appear on the ballot in the November 3 general election – is March 3, 2020.

“By-mail absentee voting officially launches the 2020 primary election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Any registered voter in North Carolina may request a mail-in absentee ballot for the primary.”

To vote absentee by-mail, voters must complete a 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form. For the 2020 primary, the form must be received by the voter’s county board of elections by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

Voters who submit a valid request will receive a ballot from their county board of elections. The materials will include detailed instructions on how to complete and return the ballot.

For a one-page guide on how to vote absentee by-mail, go here.

Session Law 2019-239 made several changes to the absentee voting process. Changes include:

  • An absentee request form is now valid only if returned to the county board of elections by the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, or a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT);
  • The absentee request form must be mailed or delivered in-person to the voter’s county board of elections. Unlike past elections, request forms may not be emailed or faxed; and
  • If a voter needs help completing the request form due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, and a near relative or legal guardian is not available, the voter may get help from another person, who must list their name and address on the form.

About the Primary Election

All five recognized political parties in North Carolina – Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican – have primary ballots. Voters affiliated with a political party may only vote in their party’s primary. (For example, a voter registered as a Democrat may only vote the Democratic primary ballot.)

Unaffiliated voters may choose either the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican ballot, or a nonpartisan ballot, if available.

The one-stop, in-person early voting period for the March 3 primary begins Thursday, February 13 and ends Saturday, February 29.

 Uniformed or Overseas Citizens

Uniformed service members, as well as U.S. citizens living outside of the country, may request absentee ballots under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). For more information about UOCAVA absentee voting, visit FVAP.gov or ncsbe.gov/voting-options/military-overseas-voting.

 Multipartisan Assistance Teams (MATs)

Special assistance is available for voters living in care facilities, such as nursing homes. Upon request, county boards of elections will send a Multi-partisan Assistance Team (MAT) to help voters in facilities complete their 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form, mark their ballot, or serve as required witnesses.

Care facility coordinators or members of the public can contact their local county board of elections office to schedule a visit.

For more information about absentee voting, visit ncsbe.gov/voting-options/absentee-voting.

Important Voter Registration/Election Dates

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-Information courtesy the North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement

Important Dates:

Friday, October 12, 2018 – Regular Voter Registration Deadline

Voter registration forms must be postmarked or delivered to your county elections office by 5 p.m. on October 12. Same-day registration will be available in your county during the One-Stop Early Voting period, beginning October 17 and ending November 3.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 – Start of One-Stop Early Voting

Voters may register and vote at any One-Stop Early Voting location in their county of residence. For locations and hours, check with your county elections office or vt.ncsbe.gov/OSSite.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018 – Regular Deadline to Request a Mail-In Absentee Ballot

Requests must be received by your county elections office by 5 p.m. on October 30.

Saturday, November 3, 2018 – End of One-Stop Early Voting and Same-Day Registration

Tuesday, November 6, 2018 – ELECTION DAY

Polls will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Locate your polling place at vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup.