Political experts stress efficiency for early voters
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — After the N.C. Supreme Court voted to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the state's election ballots, all 100 counties had to reprint their absentee ballots.
Tuesday, absentee ballots will finally be sent out to voters. With the delay, the state board of elections is ensuring voters will still have enough time to cast their ballot.
The ballots will be sent out to every voter who's requested one so far. A total of 152 ballots have already been returned by military and overseas voters and 200,000 have been collected in total and are prepared to be sent out Tuesday.
While ballots are being sent off, it's important to be efficient when returning them. The USPS and state board of elections are urging voters to leave enough time for their vote to be collected by the 7:30 p.m. deadline on Nov. 5.
"They are cautioning or trying to emphasize to voters to make sure that they allow at least a week, possibly earlier, to get that ballot back in the mail," Executive Director of the State Board of Elections Karen Brinson Bell said.
Along with the new election night deadline, in-person voting will also see a change in approach. "We have photo ID in place for the first presidential election in North Carolina. So folks need to know what our approved types of photo I.D. or if they can't get an I.D., how to complete that exception form or how to go and get a free voter I.D. at their county Board of Elections," Brinson Bell said.
By law, election books close 25 days before the election, which is Oct. 11. People who aren't registered in North Carolina, can do so during early voting.
"They'll bring in their documents for their residency, show their driver's license and or something of that nature," Brinson Bell said. "And they will get registered and vote during the early voting period."
