Letter From Our Executive Director

Dear fellow North Carolinians,

This year is unprecedented. The challenges and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic have reshaped many aspects of our lives, including our elections. As the state elections director, I can assure you that your state and county elections officials have been hard at work to make voting as accessible and safe as possible for North Carolina’s 7 million registered voters. New laws, processes and safeguards will be in place to protect your health and ensure your vote counts on Election Day, November 3. As always, three voting options are available to registered voters. They are: no excuse absentee voting by-mail, one-stop early voting at sites across your county, and Election Day voting at your assigned polling place.

For voting by mail, we’ve simplified the absentee ballot return envelope and instructions. State law now allows voters to request ballots through an online request portal, which is available at ncsbe.gov. Or, you may tear out, fill out, sign and return the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form in this guide. Statewide, we’ve increased the number of early voting hours to reduce lines, allow for social distancing, and limit the spread of the virus. We encourage voters to vote at off-peak times when possible to further reduce the number of voters in polling places at the same time.

In-person voters — either during the early voting period from October 15–31 or on Election Day — will see significant safety precautions at all voting sites. Election workers will wear masks, face shields and gloves, as applicable. Masks, single-use pens, and hand sanitizer will be available for voters who do not bring their own. Poll workers will enforce social distancing and clean voting equipment often. Our goal is to make sure all voters can cast a ballot without fear of catching the virus.

In late August, the State Board of Elections launched a redesigned website, ncsbe.gov. There, you can find reliable information about when, where and how to vote. A lot of misinformation about elections is spread through social media and other sources. This website is a trusted source of information. We also encourage you to check out the State Board on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for important information about elections. Your state and county elections officials will continue to work hard to make the 2020 general election a success.

Please vote!

Sincerely,

Karen Brinson Bell

Executive Director, N.C. State Board of Elections

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