One-stop voting begins this week
By From staff reports
Published in News on May 24, 2016 1:46 PM
One-stop voting begins Thursday for the June 7 special primary election and continues through Saturday, June 4.
The only one-stop early voting location will be at the Wayne County Board of Elections office, 209 S. William St., from Thursday, May 26, until Saturday, June 4.
The office will be closed on Saturday, May 28, and on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30.
One-stop voting will be between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day except for Saturday, June 4, when the hours will be 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Vote totals will be unofficial until the canvass at the Wayne County Board of Elections office at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 14.
A contest for North Carolina Supreme Court associate justice is the only race on the ballot.
Justice Robert H. "Bob" Edmunds is facing challenges in the nonpartisan contest from Michael R. "Mike" Morgan, Daniel Robertson and Sabra Jean Faires.
Voters will cast their ballot for one candidate, and the top two vote-getters will meet in the November general election.
Polls will be open countywide from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on primary day.
Residents may register and vote during one-stop early voting only.
Most voters will be asked to present valid photo identification when voting in person, with exceptions for voters who are unable to obtain acceptable photo identification, have a religious objection to being photographed, or are victims of a natural disaster.
Photo identification for voting is available from the DMV at no cost.
Acceptable forms of photo identification include a N.C. driver's license or DMV-issued identification card (expired for up to four years), U.S. passport or passport card (unexpired), military ID card or Veterans Affairs ID card (unexpired, if there is an expiration date), and certain tribal enrollment cards.
Voters unable to obtain one of these forms of identification may still vote if the inability to obtain such identification is due to a "reasonable impediment" such as a lost or stolen ID, lack of transportation, illness or disability, a lack of proper documents or work schedule considerations.
They may vote a provisional ballot after completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and providing an alternate form of identification, or the last four digits of their Social Security number and their date of birth.
Alternate forms of identification for voters who complete the declaration include their voter registration card or a current utility bill, paycheck, government check, bank statement, or other government document bearing the voter's name and current address.
Voters who use curbside voting may use one of the alternative forms of identification, too.
For assistance with obtaining acceptable photo identification or for more information on exceptions and alternative voting options, contact the N.C. Board of Elections outreach team toll-free at 1-866-522-4723 or visit www.VoterID.nc.gov.
Absentee voting by mail is available for the special primary.
All voters who voted by mail for the March 15 primary will receive an absentee ballot in the mail. Absentee voting requires completing an application on the return envelope that must be witnessed by two qualified persons or a notary public.
Requests for an absentee ballot must be made on an absentee request form available on the state Board of Elections website, at the county board of elections office and at the one-stop early voting site.
The form must be received in the Wayne County Board of Elections office or the one-stop early voting site by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31. Ballots received by mail after that time will still be timely if received within three business days and
Voters may receive assistance in voting a mail-in absentee ballot from a qualified person of their choice.
If the voter lives in a facility such as a nursing home, and the voter's near relative or legal guardian is not available, the voter or the facility can arrange to have the county board of elections schedule a visit by a multipartisan assistance team to provide assistance and serve as witnesses.
Anyone voting in person is entitled to assistance by an election official, or if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice.
Curbside voting is available for voters who are physically unable to enter a voting site.
For more information, call the Wayne County Board of Elections office at 919-731-1411.