Early voting for Chatham County’s 2020 Primary Election begins Feb. 13 and features a Chatham County Commissioner primary and two county-wide referenda.
Primary elections are the opportunity for residents to choose their preferred candidate in their parties election. As a semi-closed primary state, Democrats and Republicans are only able to vote in their own parties primaries. Unaffiliated voters have the opportunity to choose which ballot in which to cast a vote.
On the primary ballot, voters will cast a vote for their choice for their party’s representative in the Presidential election and in most statewide offices, including U.S. Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Locally, there will be primary elections for Chatham’s 4th Congressional District and the Chatham County Board of Commissioners’ District 2 seat. There will also be two referenda votes on the primary ballot — for malt beverage sales and a sales tax increase — for voters to decide.
Chatham County will have four early voting sites beginning next Thursday, two of which are new for Chatham voters.
• One of the new sites is the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, located at 1192 U.S. Hwy 64 West Business in Pittsboro. This early voting site is replacing the Chatham County Board of Elections Office which will not serve as an early voting site this year.
After entering into the Ag complex, voters will take a right and enter the parking lot on that side of the building. Voters will enter the building using the entrance at the far right side where voting will be taking place. The Chatham County Board of Elections will be placing signs at the location to direct voters to the proper lot and entrance.
There will not be voting at the Ag Complex on Election Day. Voters from the Pittsboro precinct will vote at their regular polling site at the Central Carolina Community College’s multi-purpose room, located at 764 West St. in Pittsboro as they have in the past.
• Early voting in the northeastern portion of the county will also change this year. The new Central Carolina Community College Chatham Health Sciences Center, located at 75 Ballentrae Ct. in Pittsboro, will serve as an early voting site in the area. Voting will take place in the rear of the building so voters should use the rear parking lot and enter there. Once again, the Chatham County Board of Elections will have signs in place directing voters. The site will also serve Manns Chapel precinct voters on Election Day, replacing the previous site at Perry Harrison Elementary School.
• Early voting sites will also be available at the Earl B. Fitts Community Center, located at 111 South Third Ave., in Siler City and the Goldston Town Hall, located at 40 Coral Ave., in Goldston.
Early voting hours
• 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. weekdays, starting Thursday, Feb. 13
• Saturday early voting on Feb. 15 and 22 will be available from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
• Hours for the final day of early voting, on Saturday, Feb. 29, are from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Same-day registration will be available during the early voting period for people who have been a resident of Chatham County for 30 days or more, but it is restricted to new registrants and those who need to change their voting address. If you are a new registrant using same-day registration, you will need to bring a verification of address. Voters will not be able to change their party affiliation at that time, according to state law.
There is no voter identification requirement for the 2020 primary election.
Voters will also have the opportunity to vote in the primary from 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. March 3 at their individual polling site in their precinct. If you need to know where your polling site is, contact the Chatham County Board of Elections at 919-544-8500 or go to the website www.chathamnc.org/government/departments-programs/boardofelections.
Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.