10 tips for Election Day voting

Abi Pepin, Reporter

In North Carolina, polls opened at 6:30 a.m. and so far, some voters at the App State polling location are confused about which precinct to vote at and what a provisional ballot is. The North Carolina State Board of Elections put out a list of 10 tips for Election Day voters.

  1. On Election Day, polls in North Carolina are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters that are in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. Lines tend to be longer earlier in the morning and later at night.
  2. Find your Election Day polling place through the Voter Search or the Polling Place Search.
  3. Sample ballots can also be found through the Voter Search. Information about North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals candidates can be found in the 2020 Judicial Voter Guide. 
  4. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available for all workers. Social distancing will also be enforced. For more information about COVID-19 related procedures, visit the Voting and Coronavirus page. 
  5. If you are voting by mail and haven’t returned your ballot, you must mail in your ballot to your county board of elections or drop it off by 5 p.m. on Election Day. You can’t return your mail-in ballot to your polling site. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and must be received by Nov. 12. If you mail in your ballot, you may not vote again in person. The address for the Watauga County Board of Elections is 842 W. King St. Suite 6, Boone NC, 28607. 
  6. Same-day registration is not available on Election Day. If you are not registered to vote before Election Day, you are unable to vote in this election.
  7. Voters are not required to show photo identification.
  8. Voters who need assistance at the polls must request that assistance. Curbside voting is available for voters who are unable to enter the voting site without assistance due to age or disability. Voters who experience difficulty inside the polling site, can request assistance from an election worker. For more information about assistance, visit the Help for Voters with Disabilities page. 
  9. Intimidating any voter is a crime. Voters who feel harassed or intimidated should notify an election official immediately. 
  10. If your name is not on the voter list, you can request a provisional ballot. After about 10 days, voters can check the status of their ballot with the Provisional Search tool.Â