The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 9. Here’s what you need to know.

Friday is the final day to register to vote for the 2020 election. After Friday, people can register to vote at one of the early voting sites across Watauga County. 

Matt Snyder, Watauga County director of elections, said that to register at a one-stop early voting site, voters have to show proof of residency in the county. 

“If you register by Oct. 9, no proof of residency document is required,” Snyder said. 

The North Carolina State Board of Elections lists five documents that can be used for proof of residency: 

  • North Carolina driver’s license
  • Photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, provided that the card includes the voter’s current name and address.
  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
  • A current college/university photo identification card paired with proof of campus habitation.

“We encourage all eligible individuals to register to vote and make their voice heard in 2020,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the state board of elections in a press release. “It’s easy, and there’s still time, either through the regular process or at any one-stop early voting location in your county.”

Before the Friday deadline, a person can register to vote by filling out a voter registration form or registering online. 

The North Carolina Voter Registration Application can be submitted to the county board of elections by mail or in person. The NCBSE also provides a Spanish version of the registration form. 

A person can also register to vote using the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles website. Existing NCDMV customers may submit their voter registration application online through the DMV

“We highly encourage people to take advantage of the early voting opportunities around the county where any registration issue can be handled,” Snyder said. 

Early voting will take place from Oct. 15 to Oct. 31 at six sites in Watauga County from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every weekday.

Those sites are: 

  • App State – Plemmons Student Union – Blue Ridge Ballroom
  • Blowing Rock Town Hall
  • Deep Gap Fire Department
  • High Country Vacation Homes (Foscoe)
  • Western Watauga Community Center
  • Watauga County Administration Building, Commissioners’ Board Room

Each Saturday, sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.