Here’s how to vote early, in person and learn more about the ballot in Orange County
The Orange County Board of Elections is gearing up for a busy but safe voting season, elections director Rachel Raper said.
Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15, at six locations throughout Orange County. The general election will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Poll workers will regularly clean and disinfect early voting and precinct voting sites, Raper noted in a news release. Poll workers also will have single-use swabs for cleaning touch-screen voting machines after each use. Voters will be given single-use pens to mark their ballots.
Poll workers also will wear masks, gloves and face shields, and masks will be provided for voters who need one, Raper said. However, voters who refuse to wear a mask will not be turned away, despite the state’s mask requirement, she said, because “the right to vote is constitutionally protected.”
The line to vote will be marked for physical distancing.
“We are doing all we can to ensure you can vote safely in Orange County,” Raper said.
Where, how to vote early
Early voting runs daily Oct. 15 through Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Poll workers will be available to help with curbside voting for voters who have a physical disability or age-related issue, as well as those at a higher risk for COVID-19 or who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Voters can cast their ballots early at:
▪ Efland Ruritan Club, 3009 Forrest Ave., Efland
▪ Orange Works at Hillsborough Commons, 113 Mayo St., Hillsborough
▪ Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro
▪ Chapel of the Cross, 304 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
▪ Seymour Senior Center, 2551 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill
▪ University Place, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
Voters will not be required to show a photo identification.
How to request an absentee ballot
Voters who want to avoid crowds or in-person voting must request an absentee ballot by 5 p.m. Oct. 27. The voter or a close relative who is helping the voter request a ballot must sign the form.
Ballot request forms can be found online at:
▪ Orange County elections office: tinyurl.com/yyqawng4
▪ N.C. State Board of Elections: tinyurl.com/y5rtgr26
Return ballot request forms in person to the local elections office at 208 S. Cameron St. in Hillsborough, mail them to the Orange County Board of Elections, P.O. Box 220, Hillsborough, NC 27278, email them to vote@orangecountync.gov, or fax them to 919-644-3318.
How to cast an absentee ballot
At least one witness must watch the voter fill out the ballot, and both the voter and the witness must sign the completed ballot.
Absentee ballots can be returned in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the elections office at 208 S. Cameron St. in Hillsborough. Ballots must be submitted in person by 5 p.m. Nov. 3.
Absentee ballots also can be dropped off at any of the early voting sites during open hours or returned by mail. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked Nov. 3 and received at the local elections office by Nov. 6.
Absentee ballots will not be accepted at the polls on Election Day.
There are three ways to make sure your absentee ballot has been received:
▪ BallotTrax: Operated by the N.C. State Board of Elections at northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter
▪ Voter search tool: Also available on the state elections website at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup
▪ Contact your county board of elections at 919-245-2350
It is against the law to cast an absentee ballot and also vote in person, Raper said. However, voters who don’t return their absentee ballot in time can still vote at an early voting site or their regular polling site.
She reminded absentee voters to check their ballots twice before returning them and to ensure both the voter and the witness have signed the form.
“Should there be an issue with the acceptance of a ballot, our office will contact the voter within one business day,” Raper said.
Who is on the ballot?
Orange County voters will choose candidates in a slew of local, state and federal elections this year.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners race was largely decided in the March 2020 primary, because no Republican candidates filed for that office. Races for the Orange County School Board and a District Court judge seat were nonpartisan and also were decided in March.
Orange County Board of Commissioners
At-large district (one seat)
Amy Fowler (D)
District 1 (two seats)
Mark Dorosin (D)
Jean Hamilton (D)
District 2 (one seat)
Renee Price (D)
Orange County School Board (three seats)
Bonnie Hauser
Jennifer Moore
Carrie Doyle
District Court Judge (one seat)
Hathaway Pendergrass
State Senate District 23 (one seat)
Valerie Foushee (D-incumbent)
Tom Glendinning (R)
House District 50 (one seat)
Graig Meyer (D-incumbent) is running unopposed
House District 56 (one seat)
Verla Insko (D-incumbent)
Joe Parrish (R)
Related stories:
▪ For information on early voting in Wake County, see story here (The News & Observer) or here (The Herald-Sun).
▪ For information on early voting in Durham County, see story here (The News & Observer) or here (The Herald-Sun).
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 11:14 AM.
