By Peter Vankevich
Primary elections in North Carolina will take place from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Tuesday, March 5.
Winners will be listed on the ballots for the national general election slated for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The voter registration deadline for this primary was Feb. 9.
Early voting on Ocracoke will take place on just two days, Thursday, Feb. 22, and Friday, Feb. 23, at the Ocracoke Fire Department, 822 Irvin Garrish Hwy.
Early voting will also take place at the Hyde County Board of Elections site, in the Public Safety Building, 1223 Main St., Swan Quarter, from Thursday, Feb. 15 to March 2. The hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Saturday, March 2, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Voters will now be asked to present a valid photo identification when voting in person. If you do not have a valid photo ID card, you may obtain one from your county board of elections prior to the election, through the end of the early voting period.
If you do not have a valid photo ID card on Election Day, you may still vote and have your vote counted by signing an affidavit of reasonable impediment (or Photo ID Exception Form) as to why you have not presented a valid photo ID. The Exception Form can also be used if you have a religious objection to being photographed or are a victim of a recently declared natural disaster.
As an alternative, if you don’t have your ID when you vote, you can still vote and then bring your valid photo ID to your county board of elections by 5 p.m. on the ninth day after Election Day (or the sixth day after Election Day for September or October local elections).
In North Carolina, any eligible voter can request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot by mail. Find more information at Vote By Mail.
The absentee ballot request deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 27.
If you vote by mail, then you must include a photocopy of a valid photo ID when returning your ballot. You may also complete the Absentee Photo ID Exception Form that is provided with your absentee ballot materials.
A list of all types of ID that can be used for voting is available on the State Board of Elections Voter ID webpage. For information on how to get a free ID, click on “Get a Free Voter Photo ID.”
Only contested elections will be on the ballots. If you do not see an incumbent listed, it may be there are no party challenges to that incumbent.
Three political parties have primary elections: the Democratic, Libertarian and Republican parties.
Unaffiliated voters can choose to participate in one of the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican primaries, but only one. Those registered with a particular party must vote in that party’s primary.
Below are the three political party sample primary ballots.
