Deadlines are looming to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot for the Nov. 8 election.
Voter registration will close for the Nov. 8 election on Friday, Oct. 14, according to the Cumberland County Board of Elections website.
All voters have a choice of voting by absentee mail-in ballot or voting early beginning Oct. 20.
Angie Amaro, interim director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections Office, says she expects a smooth election and that her staff and poll volunteers will be ready for the task.
“We are preparing like we always prepare for any election,” Amaro said in a recent email.
“Absentee requests are greater than in previous midterms,” she added.
Amaro said she is “very confident” that plans are in place to ensure an accurate vote count.
Voting machines and other election computers will be reliable, she said.
“They are tested for logic and accuracy before every election,” Amaro said in the email.
Voters will decide races for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives; N.C. Senate and House; N.C. Supreme Court (two seats) and N.C. Court of Appeals (four seats); and N.C. Superior Court judge and N.C. District Court judge.
In Cumberland County, voters will choose two members of the Board of Commissioners, three members of the Board of Education, a sheriff, the clerk of court, and two Soil and Water District supervisors.
In addition, Fayetteville voters will decide whether to approve changing the way City Council members are elected in a referendum on the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative. City voters also will decide on three bond packages: $60 million for public safety improvements; $25 million for infrastructure updates; and $12 million for housing initiatives.
A voter must be a citizen of the United States, 18 or older, and a legal resident of Cumberland County for 30 days before Election Day. Registrants must rescind any previous registration in another county or state, and they must provide a North Carolina driver’s license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Register to vote or update your registration at the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles website. Or download a registration application at the N.C. Board of Elections website.
In Cumberland County, residents may register to vote in person at the county Board of Elections Office, 227 Fountainhead Lane. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Registration also is available at public libraries.
To change your address, fill out the back of your voter registration card and return it to the county Board of Elections Office. It must be postmarked or received at least 25 days before the election.
If you do not provide a valid form of identification, you will be asked to show ID the first time you vote.
One-stop early voting for the Nov. 8 elections begins on Oct. 20 and ends at 3 p.m. Nov. 5. Information is available at the county Board of Elections website.
U.S. citizens who live overseas — including members of the military and their spouses and dependents — have until 5 p.m. the day before Election Day to register to vote or request an absentee ballot.
Requests for absentee mail-in ballots are now being accepted for the Nov. 8 general election.
The deadline to submit a request for an absentee mail-in ballot is Nov. 1 for the Nov. 8 general election, according to the Cumberland County elections website.
All registered voters in the county are eligible to vote by mail giving no excuse if they choose not to vote in person. An absentee mail-in ballot can be requested at the N.C. vote-by-mail portal. Members of the military and those serving overseas are included.
More information for military members is at military voting assistance guide.
Information also is available by email at absentee@cumberlandcountync.gov.
To apply for a mail-in ballot, the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian must complete a request form that can be returned by mail or in person.
For the Nov. 8 election, the request form must be received by the county elections office by 5 p.m. Nov. 1.
The ballot must be marked in the presence of a notary public or two witnesses. The voter and the witnesses must sign the back of the ballot envelope and provide their full addresses.
Hand-delivered absentee ballots must be received by the county Board of Elections by 5 p.m. Nov. 8, Election Day. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked and received no later than the third day after the election.
Look for continued coverage of the Nov. 8 election from CityView at CityViewNC.com, including stories about candidates in key contests and information about the City Council districting referendum and city bond packages.
