Worried that your mail-in ballot won’t count? Here’s what you need to know.

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted every aspect of life as we know it, and it is no different with the upcoming elections.

While any resident can request an absentee ballot to vote by mail, normally only a small percentage of Americans do.

Yet, this year, worries about COVID-19 are expected to push more citizens to vote by mail instead of going to the polls on Election Day.

Because it’s an unfamiliar process for many, there are concerns about verifying that a ballot is received, and questions about what to do if there’s a problem.

We have answers to common questions about the election, voting by mail, required witness information and more.

When can I vote by mail?

▪ The deadline to request a ballot by mail to your local election office is Oct. 27, but officials recommend requesting them as soon as possible. If you want to turn in your absentee ballot in person, you can return it at your county Board of Elections office or in person at an open early voting site in your county. If you want to mail it in, the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than Nov. 12, according to the latest U.S. Court of Appeals ruling.

How does the latest Court of Appeals ruling affect me?

▪ Only two weeks before Election Day, the Court of Appeals extended the deadline to accept mail-in ballots after Nov. 3. You will still have to have your ballot postmarked on Nov. 3, but counties will now accept ballots that arrive as late as Nov. 12, six days after the original cutoff.

▪ This change comes as an opportunity for the “overburdened” U.S. Postal Service, as the ruling called it, to deliver all ballots on time as an unprecedented high number of voters rely on mail-in ballots this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How do I know my mail-in ballot was received and counted?

▪ North Carolinians can use the State Board of Elections’ free service, BallotTrax, to track their absentee ballot from the time it’s requested to when it’s received and counted.

▪ Once you create an account by using your full name, date of birth and zip code, you’ll be able to sign up for updates via email, text or voice alerts. The updates will include if and why the ballot cannot be accepted.

What if BallotTrax isn’t working and doesn’t update where my ballot is?

▪ If BallotTrax isn’t working properly, you can turn to the State Board’s Voter Search Tool. There, you’ll be able to see your voter record and, under the “Your Absentee Ballot” section, your absentee ballot status and its return status, similarly to BallotTrax. The search tool will also help you locate your polling place and county board of elections.

What happens if there’s a problem with my mail-in/absentee ballot?

▪ A ballot might not be accepted for many reasons: The ballot return envelope could be missing the voter’s or witness’ signature, or it could arrive after the Nov. 12 deadline if postmarked before Election Day.

▪ If there’s a problem with your absentee ballot, the Board of Elections will notify you via email or text message using contact information listed on the ballot request form. If your vote is not successfully cast, you have the opportunity to vote in person during the early voting period between Oct. 15 and Oct. 31, or on Election Day.

What could go wrong with my mail-in ballot, and what should I do?

▪ Even though the state doesn’t require voters to mail a copy of a photo ID with their ballot, some problems voters have dealt with so far this year include having to prove American citizenship when using an absentee ballot, The News & Observer learned through its partnership with ProPublica’s Electionland voter tip line.

▪ Incomplete witness information is also one of the biggest issues this election year, according to the Board of Elections. Witnesses can be almost anybody over the age of 18, including spouses and other family members, as long as they are not a candidate or employee of a political party. The witness, who should be close enough to observe the voter mark the ballot but not see who they vote for, will have to sign the envelope and a witness certification form including their full name, address and signature.

▪ Requesting a new ballot close to the election could cause you to miss a deadline and not be able to vote. A recent lawsuit, seeking to loosen absentee voter requirements, argues that if a voter leaves the envelope incomplete, they should be able to correct it by signing an affidavit and turning it in to local officials. However, many North Carolinians who were advised to follow this process are now left without recourse while officials review these ballots and affidavits pending a court decision. So far, more than 11,000 ballots have been put aside for further review as county officials must wait until a decision is reached, the Associated Press reported.

▪ If you are notified that there is a problem with your ballot, you should follow the guidelines and steps the NC State Board of Elections recommends to move forward in ensuring you can cast your ballot.

What if I never get the ballot I requested?

▪ The surge of absentee ballots requests this year created a delay in mailing ballots to voters statewide. While the average delay to receive your ballot in the mail in North Carolina is about 7 days, it varies by county. It can take up to 15 days in Wake County, according to the Associated Press, and between 11 and 14 days in Forsyth and Buncombe counties respectively.

▪ If it has been more than one week since you requested your absentee ballot, the State Board of Elections recommends calling your county board of elections to check on the status of your ballot. Once you receive your ballot, you have several options:

-You can mail the ballot using the U.S. Postal Service and postmarking it by Election Day (Nov. 3).

-You can also return it in person to your county board of elections office through on Nov. 3.

-Or, you can drop it off at an early voting site by Oct. 31.

▪ If you requested your ballot and it has not arrived yet, you can vote in person, either on Election Day or during the early voting period. You do not need to ask your county board of elections to spoil your ballot, as it will be automatically spoiled once your in-person vote is recorded. If you receive your absentee ballot after you’ve already voted, you can discard it, the State Board of Elections told The News & Observer.

Get more information on voting by mail at ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail.

This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 2:34 PM.