Absentee by-mail voting begins March 19 for Primary Election

Voting instructions

Absentee by-mail voting begins Monday, March 19, 2018, for the May 8, 2018, primary election in North Carolina.

Absentee by-mail is one of several voting options available to all registered N.C. voters, said elections officials. Unlike some other states, no excuse is needed to vote by mail in North Carolina.

Absentee by-mail voting can be accomplished in five (5) easy steps:

1. Fill out a State Absentee Ballot Request Form. Request forms are available on the website of the State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement and at offices of the state and county boards of elections.
2. Return the completed and signed request form to your county board of elections in person or by email, fax or regular mail. Contact information for county boards is available here and the direct link to the Alexander County Board of Elections is here. Voters must request the form no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 1. The county board will process the request and, if the request is valid, mail the voter a blank absentee ballot, absentee voting instructions, an absentee application and certificate and a return envelope.
3. Mark the ballot in the presence of two witnesses or a notary public and seal the ballot in the return envelope.
4. Complete the Absentee Application and Certificate on the back of the envelope. The voter’s witnesses must sign the envelope in the space for “Witnesses’ Certification” or “Notary-Witness Certification.” If someone assists the voter, the assister must sign and date the certificate as well.
5. Return the ballot to the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day, May 8. The envelope may be mailed or delivered in person to the board of elections’ office. Only the voter or the voter’s near relative may deliver an absentee ballot in person.

Additional information, including details on absentee voting for voters living in facilities such as nursing homes, can be found on the State Board’s Civilian Absentee Voting page.

Sample ballots for Alexander County voters in the Primary Election are located at this link.

Races on the ballot

One race is shown on the Democratic primary ballot and two are on the Republican primary ballot for Alexander primary voters.

Democratic – Voters must choose between US House of Representatives District 5 candidates Jenny Marshall or D.D. Adams.

Republican – Voters will have to choose a candidate in one U.S. race and one State race. In the US House of Representatives District 5 race, Virginia Foxx (incumbent), Dillon Gentry, and Cortland J. Meader, Jr. And in the NC State Senate District 42 race, there are four names to choose from: Mark Hollo, Ryan Huffman, Dustin Long, and incumbent, Andy Wells.