Many North Carolinians are interested in using an absentee ballot to vote in the Nov. 3 general elections, especially to avoid standing in line with potential Coronavirus risk.
To request an absentee ballot in North Carolina, a registered voter (or voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian) must complete and sign a simple, one-page Absentee Ballot Request Form, available at this link.
If you are not registered to vote in your county of residence, you must register to vote no later than 25 days prior to the date of the election. You can also submit a voter registration form with this Absentee Ballot Request form. On the form:
- Provide your full legal name.
- Provide your date of birth.Provide one of the following:
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- North Carolina driver license number or non-operator identification card number; or
- Last four digits of your Social Security number
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- Provide your current residential address. (Your North Carolina residential address is required so you get the correct ballot.)
- Indicate the election you are requesting an absentee ballot for and the address where you would like your ballot mailed. Also, indicate if you would like to request absentee ballots for all elections held during this calendar year in which you are eligible to vote due to continued or expected illness or disability.
- Partisan Primary Requests: If you are requesting a by-mail ballot for a partisan primary and you are not affiliated with a political party, provide your primary ballot preference. You may select a ballot of one of the recognized political parties that allow unaffiliated voters to participate in their primary or a nonpartisan ballot style. In a given primary, not all ballot choices may be available. Contact your county board of elections to determine available ballot options.
- All voters: All voters are entitled to assistance from their near relative or verifiable legal guardian. If you are a near relative or verifiable legal guardian requesting an absentee ballot on behalf of the voter, you must list your name and address. A near relative is defined as the voter’s: spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child,
grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepchild, son-in-law,
stepparent
- Voters Who Are Blind, Disabled, or Unable to Read or Write: If a voter needs assistance in completing the written request form due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write and there is not a near relative or legal guardian available to assist that voter, the voter may request some other person give assistance. If another person assists in completing the written request form, that person’s name and address must be listed on this form.
- Voters Who Are Patients in any Hospital, Clinic, Nursing Home, or Rest Home (“Facility”): If a registered voter is a patient in a Facility in North Carolina, a member of a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) authorized by the county board of elections can assist the voter in completing the request form. Please contact the county board of elections to request assistance from a MAT. It is unlawful for any owner, manager, director, or employee of the Facility OTHER than the voter’s near relative, verifiable legal guardian, or member of a MAT to request an absentee ballot on behalf of the voter. If neither the voter’s near relative nor verifiable legal guardian is available, and a MAT is not available within seven calendar days of a telephone request for assistance, the voter may obtain assistance from anyone who is not (1) an owner, manager, director, or employee of the Facility; (2) an elected official; (3) a candidate; or (4) an officeholder in a political party or a campaign manager or treasurer for a candidate or political party.
The Absentee Voting Request form must be signed by either the voter or the voter’s near relative/legal guardian. Absentee request forms may only be returned by the voter, the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian or a MAT. The form must be delivered in person or by the U.S. Postal Service or other designated delivery service (DHL, FedEx, or UPS) to the voter’s county board of elections. Forms may not be faxed or emailed. A completed absentee request form must be received by the county board of elections not later than 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election.
Download the required form at this link.
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Top photo by Andreas Breitling from Pixabay
