VOTING BY MAIL IN NORTH CAROLINA IN 2020
ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE MAIL-IN BALLOTS
Voting by absentee ballot is the same things as a mail-in ballot. There are two great reasons voting by mail makes sense this year.
- For your health – Voting by mail with an absentee ballot will allow you to vote without having to go to the polls to cast your vote in person.
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For your budget – Mail-in ballots are cost effective for wage earners who need to take time off from work to vote. You can request a ballot by calling 919-404-4040 Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM, which is a free service from Wake County Board of Elections.
ELIGIBILITY
Any registered voter in North Carolina can vote by Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR VOTING BY MAIL
9/4/20 Absentee ballots will begin to be sent out to those who have requested them.
10/27/20 Deadline for requesting Absentee ballots.
TIP: The best thing you can do if you want to vote by Absentee Ballot is to TAKE ACTION TODAY. Do not wait because the longer you wait, the closer to the deadline it will be. No requests for Absentee Ballots will be honored after October 27, 2020.
3 KEY STEPS TO VOTING BY MAIL
Step #1 – Voter must request an Absentee Ballot by October 27, 2020.
Step #2 – After receiving the Absentee Ballot, the voter needs to carefully fill out the ballot in the presence of a witness. The witness does not have to see who the voter votes for. The witness must see the voter sign the completed ballot. The witness must sign the ballot as the witness and the voter places the ballot into the envelope and seals the envelope. The voter puts one first-class stamp on the envelope.
Step #3 – Voter must return the envelope by mailing the envelope via the U. S. Postal Service making sure to have it postmarked by 5:00 PM on November 3, 2020 or hand delivering it to the Wake County Board of Elections to be received no later than 5:00 PM on November 3, 2020.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT VOTING BY MAIL
Eligibility to Request a North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form
- The requestor must be a voter, a voter’s near relative, legal guardian or Multipartisan Assistance Team member. MAT members are appointed by the Wake County Board of Elections to assist voters who are in facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes and who need assistance to vote by mail. To schedule a MAT visit, contact the Wake County Board of Elections.
- The request for an Absentee Ballot must be made on the state approved “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form.”
- The voter’s required information provided must be verified (Date of Birth AND last four digits of the Social Security number or Driver’s License or an approved HAVA (Help America Vote Act) ID.
- Provide current North Carolina residential address.
- All forms must be signed.
- Please provide your email address or a telephone number in case there is a question concerning this request
Online
You can request a North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form from the Wake County Board of Elections website at wakegov.com/absenteeballot. You can download and print this form and then complete it and email it back.
Phone
You can request your “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form” by calling 919-404-4040, which is the Wake County Board of Elections. Just tell them that you are requesting they send you the “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form.”
In Person
You can go to the Wake County Board of Elections Operations Center at 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, NC 27610 to pick up the “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form.”
Mail-in
You can request to receive a “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form” by mail. Be sure to order this form well before October 27, 2020 because any request received after October 27 (even if postmarked on October 27) will be denied. You can mail your request to: Wake County Board of Elections, P. O. Box 695, Raleigh, NC
COMPLETE THE NORTH CAROLINA ABSENTEE REQUEST FORM
Once you have received the “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form” please complete it and return it immediately to the Wake County Board of Elections. There is more detail as to who can assist with completing the Request Form at www.wakegov.com/absenteeballot.
The completed North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form can be returned to the Wake County Board of Elections by email, Fax, USPS Mail or delivered in-person.
Email – Return completed request form to: [email protected].
Fax – Send completed request form to: 919-231-5737
USPS Mail address:
Wake County Board of Elections
Attention: Absentee
P.O. Box 695
Raleigh, NC 27602
Deliver in person:
Wake County Board of Elections Operations Center
1200 N. New Hope Road
Raleigh, NC 27610
COMPLETING AND RETURNING YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT (MAIL-IN BALLOT)
Absentee Ballots will be mailed out by the Wake County Board of Elections beginning September 4, 2020. The Ballots will be sent out in the order the Request Form was received. Ballots will be mailed to those who have completed and submitted the “North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form.”
7 Steps for Completing, Returning and Tracking your Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot.
Step #1. Upon receiving the Absentee Ballot, read through the entire ballot before marking it up.
Step #2. Line up someone who is 18 years of age or older who can witness that the voter is filling out the Absentee ballot, signing the Absentee Ballot and inserting the Absentee ballot in the return envelope that was provided with the Absentee Ballot.
Step #3. A witness can be a spouse, relative, partner, housemate, neighbor, volunteer precinct witness as long as they are 18 years of age or older. See FAQ’s for information on individuals who are prohibited from witnessing an Absentee Ballot or click www.NCSBE.gov .
Step #4. There are more detailed instructions at www.wakegov.com regarding absentee voters who are patients or residents at a hospital, clinic, nursing home or adult care home and the role of the witness.
Step #5. Only one ballot is allowed in each envelope when returning a completed Absentee Ballot. You MUST return the completed Absentee Ballot in the return envelope that accompanied the ballot in order for your vote to be tallied. If you live in a household where multiple ballots were requested, you MUST keep each ballot with its correct return envelope in order for your vote to be tallied.
Step #6. Once the signed Absentee Ballot has been inserted into the envelope, the voter has two options for making sure this Absentee Ballot is properly received and tallied.
Delivering Ballot by Mail – The voter should put one First Class Stamp on the envelope that contains the Absentee Ballot. This envelope should be mailed at any U. S. Post Office as soon as possible but must be postmarked no later than 5:00 PM on Election Day, November 3, 2020. In order for this ballot to count, it must be received by the Board of Elections no later than 3 days after the election. It should be mailed to:
Wake County Board of Elections
O. Box 695
Raleigh, NC 27602
TIP: The earlier you mail in your Absentee Ballot (Mail-in Ballot), the better. The U. S. Postal Service is being intentionally disrupted to delay delivery of mail. Be sure your Absentee Ballot is mailed as soon as possible to ensure that your vote will count.
Delivering Ballot in Person – The voter or a close relative of voter can deliver the Absentee Ballot in the sealed envelope to the physical address of the Wake County Board of Elections no later than 5:00 PM on Election Day, November 3, 2020.
Wake County Board of Elections
1200 N. New Hope Road
Raleigh, NC 27610
Step #7. The NC State Board of Elections has launched a new website, called BallotTrax, https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/ that will allow voters to track the progress of their mail-in ballot. BallotTrax will allow voters to keep tabs on their mail-in ballot from the comfort of their home and it will give peace of mind that their ballot has been received and counted by their county Board of Elections.
The first step in tracking the voter’s mail-in ballot is to set up an account on BallotTrax https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/. If you did not vote by mail, you will not be allowed to use BallotTrax.
This account will allow the voter to do the following.
- Log in to view the status of their absentee by-mail request and ballot.
- See that the Absentee Mail-in Ballot has been mailed to the voter.
- See that the completed ballot has been received by the county Board of Elections.
- Learn if their ballot cannot be accepted because of issues such as a missing signature or witness information. If this occurs, the county board of elections will provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue.
Sign up for email, text and/or voice alerts for status updates.
TIP: If you have questions about filling out the Absentee Ballot, or the Witnessing of the Ballot being signed, or any other questions about voting by mail with an Absentee Ballot, please call the voting experts at the Wake County Board of Elections at 919-404-4040 (Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM or go to www.wakegov.com to get more information