When and where to vote early in the Durham County 2020 primary
Corrected Feb. 29, 2020: A previous version of this story had the wrong early-voting hours for Feb. 29.
Early voting for the 2020 primary begins Thursday in Durham County.
In local races, voters will select five of 15 candidates running in the Democratic primary for the Durham County Board of Commissioners and three of five candidates running in the non-partisan race for Durham Public Schools Board of Education.
Other candidates for state and federal offices are seeking their party’s nomination to appear on the November ballot.
Here’s what you need to know about voting early in Durham County.
When is the primary?
The primary is March 3, and the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters can visit www.dcovotes.com to find their polling precinct.
When and where can I vote early in Durham County?
There are eight early voting sites, operating on the same schedule. Voters can cast a ballot at any early voting location.
- North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road, Durham
- East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane, Durham
- Duke University Brodhead Center, 406 Chapel Drive, Durham
- NCCU Turner Law Building, 640 Nelson Street, Durham
- South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave., Durham
- Criminal Justice Resource Center, 326 E. Main St., Durham
- Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4907 Garrett Road, Durham
- Durham Technical North, 2401 Snow Hill Road, Durham
Early voting sites will be open from:
- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 - Friday, Feb. 14
- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
- Noon - 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16
- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 - Friday, Feb. 21
- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22
- Noon - 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23
- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 - Friday, Feb. 28
- 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29
What if I live outside Durham County?
Early voting locations and time are different in each county. You can contact your local board of elections office or visit the N.C. Board of Elections website, www.ncsbe.gov, to find your area’s locations.
Who are the local Durham County candidates?
County commissioners set the county budget and property tax rates; allocate money to schools, social services and public safety; and make policies affecting services, the local economy and more for years to come.
Because all 15 candidates are registered with the Democratic Party, the 5 winners of the primary are also the winners of the general election.
Each commissioner is elected to a four-year term and receives $25,417 per year. The county commissioner chair gets a slight raise, to $29,920.
Here are the 15 candidates (incumbents are marked with an *):
- Nida Allam, www.nidaallam.com
- Nate Baker, www.NateForDurham.com
- LeVon Barnes, www.levon4durham.com
- Nimasheena Burns, www.burnsfordurham.com
- Patrick Byker, www.byketoprogress.com
- Heidi Carter* www.heidicarter.com
- Fred Foster Jr., electfredfoster.com
- James Hill*, www.facebook.com/james4durham
- Brenda Howerton* www.brendahowerton.com
- Wendy Jacobs* wendyjacobsfordurham.com
- Matt Kopac, mattfordurham.com
- Tara Fikes, tarafikes.com
- Regina Mays, n/a
- Michael Page, pagefordurham.com
- John Rooks Jr., johnrooksjr.com
Members of the non-partisan Board of Education review and set school district priorities, policies and budgets. They advocate with the county commissioners for school funding needs and also are responsible for hiring and/or firing the superintendent and approving contracts. There are three candidates seeking one at-large seat.
- Paula Januzzi-Godfrey, pjg-for-dps.com
- Steven Unruhe*, www.steveforpublicschools.com
- Alexandra Valladares, www.alexandravalladares.com
Two other candidates are also each seeking a district seat. Jovonia Lewis, jlewisfordps.com, is seeking the District A seat while incumbent Xavier Cason is hoping is planning to keep his seat for District B.
Most of the candidates for NC House of Representatives and NC Senate aren’t facing primaries. But there is one for Senate District 20. Here are the three Decmoratic candidates:
- Gray Ellis, grayellisforncsenate.com
- Pierce Freelon, www.freelonfordurham.com
- Natalie Murdock, nataliefornc.com
Voters will also have to decide between statewide and federal candidates in several political parities.
How can I find my sample ballot?
Visit www.dcovotes.com/voters/current-elections/sample-ballots to find your sample ballot.
Can I vote in any primary?
If you are registered to a political party, you must vote in that primary. For example, Libertarians can’t vote in the Republican primary. But unaffiliated voters may choose which primary they would like to vote in or can choose an unaffiliated ballot. Unaffiliated ballots do not include partisan races, such as governor, U.S. Senate or president.
Can I register to vote during early voting?
Yes, voters may register to vote or update their registration during early voting. If you are registering to vote, you must bring a driver’s license, a photo ID from a government agency or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document.
Do I need a photo ID to vote?
No, you do not need a photo ID to vote in the March primary. On Dec. 31, 2019, a federal district court blocked the state’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. That won’t change until a new order from the court.
When is the general election?
The general election is Nov. 3, 2020.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 8:29 AM.