Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

|| High Country Press Newswire

April 17, 2008 issue

Voting in the North Carolina Primary

Important issues and races will be decided across North Carolina in the primary election. For the first time in more than a generation, North Carolinians will have a choice in deciding a presidential nomination. But there are also other important nominations for state and local offices. Don’t forget to look for the nonpartisan section of the ballot for the judicial races. You should have received your Voter Guide in the mail from the State Board of Elections.

You can vote early or you can vote on Tuesday, May 6. Here’s more info on voting in the primary.

1. When does early voting begin? Citizens across North Carolina can vote beginning Thursday, April 17, at early voting locations in their counties. Early voting continues on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through Friday, May

2. You have one opportunity to vote on a Saturday during the early voting period.
From 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can vote on Saturday, May 3. Watauga County’s early voting site is the Agricultural Conference Center on Poplar Grove Road. In Avery County, vote at the Board of Elections office on Montezuma Street in Newland.

2. What if you’re not registered? What if you're not registered or moved and forgot to re-register? Good news! A new law allows you to go to the early voting center in your county, show proper identification, register and vote all on the same day. You must do this during early voting; it’s not an option on Election Day.

3. How can you check your voter registration and polling place? Click to www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx?Feature=voterinfo to check the status of your registration. Click to www.sboe.state.nc.us/PrecinctFinder.aspx to locate your polling place and look at the ballot.

4. Can unaffiliated voters vote in partisan races? You do not have to belong to a political party to vote in the primary. If you registered as an unaffiliated voter, you just ask for either the Democratic Party primary ballot or the Republican Party primary ballot: It’s your choice. Making a choice does not change your registration or your unaffiliated status, nor does it obligate you to vote for that party in the General Election. However, if there is a primary runoff, you can only participate in the runoff of the same party that you selected in the original May 6th Primary.

5. Can 17-year-olds vote? You must be at least 18 years old on November 4, 2008 to vote in the primary this year. That means you can be 17 in May and still register and vote in the primary for the offices that will be on the General Election ballot.

6. Can felons vote? When you are convicted of a felony in North Carolina, you temporarily lose your citizenship rights. But you automatically get your rights back after you finish all parts of your sentence, including any probation, parole or restitution. You do not need a special document saying your rights are restored. You just register to vote like any other citizen. But if you registered to vote before your felony conviction, you must register again because your old registration was revoked.

7. Need help? Your county Board of Elections should be able to answer all your questions. In Watauga County, call 828-828-265-8061; in Avery County, call 828-733-8282. If elections officials cannot help or if you have problems when you’re trying to vote, contact Democracy North Carolina at info@democracy-nc.org or call 1-888-OUR-VOTE.