Early voting starts Thursday: Here’s what you need to know

THE SKINNY ON EARLY VOTING

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PITTSBORO — To date, more than 12,000 Chatham County residents have been mailed absentee ballots. With early voting beginning Thursday, Oct. 15, it’s a reminder that election day is less than three weeks away.

Here’s the latest from Pandora Paschal, the director of Chatham’s Board of Elections, plus the low-down on early voting.

How are things going in your office?

We are very, very, very busy with people returning their ballots and calling to check on requests and to see if their ballot has been mailed.

What do you want to tell people about absentee ballots?

Let people know they can use the links below to request the ballot and track their ballot. If voters have already sent in an absentee ballot request form and received their ballot ignore the requests they are receiving in the mail from other sources. These are not coming from the Board of Elections office. They are valid request applications and if they have not completed an application they can use these to request the ballot.

We are accepting mail-in ballots at the office Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are requiring voters to wear a mask, and adhere to proper social distancing. Only four people are allowed in our lobby at one time.

Voters or their near relatives returning the ballot are required to sign a log for each ballot returned. We ask people to please be patient as we go through this process. We stand by our mission to run a fair and impartial election, and to ensure every vote cast is counted.

The links:

Where to find these tools: ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail.

Request an absentee ballot on the Absentee Ballot Portal: votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home.

Track Ballot on ballottrax: northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter.

When can Chatham County residents participate in early voting?

One-stop early voting begins Oct. 15 and lasts through Oct. 31.

Where can Chatham County residents vote early?

• Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, 1192 U.S. Hwy. 64 West Business, Pittsboro

• CCCC Health Science Center: 75 Ballentrae Court, Pittsboro

• Paul Braxton Gym: 115 S. Third Ave., Siler City

• Goldston Town Hall: 40 Coral Ave., Goldston

• Governors Village: 40150 Moring, Chapel Hill

• New Hope Baptist Church: 581 New Hope Church Rd., Apex

What are the hours for Chatham’s early voting sites?

All Chatham County early voting sites are open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the following days (weekdays): Oct. 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. On Saturdays (Oct. 17, 24 and 31), sites are open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sundays (Oct. 18 and 25) sites are open from noon to 3 p.m.

What is the deadline to register to vote in Chatham County

Registration for voting closed Oct. 9. If you missed the registration deadline, voters can still register at all early voting sites on the day they vote. However, there will be no voter registration on Election Day, Nov. 3.

For those who still want one, how do voters request an absentee ballot?

A request to vote by absentee ballot may be made by completing the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. The form can be returned by email at elections@chathamnc.org; by mail at P.O. Box 111 Pittsboro, NC 27312; or by fax at (919) 542-6430. The Chatham County Board of Elections must receive the completed and signed absentee request form by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Do voters need a photo ID to vote in Chatham County?

No. Chatham County voters do not need a photo ID to cast their ballot in the 2020 general election.

What is the Chatham County Board of Elections doing to keep people safe while voting during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The Chatham County Board of Elections is following the guidelines and procedures established by the State Board of Elections in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep election officials and voters safe while voting during the upcoming election. These precautions include:

• Masks available for voters who do not bring their own.

• Single-use pens for voters to mark their ballots.

• Single-use cotton swabs for voters using touchscreen ADA voting machines.

• Enforced social distancing for all election officials and voters, including markings or barriers to prevent voters in line from standing too closely together.

• Hand sanitizer for voters and election officials.

• Masks, face shields and gloves for election officials.

• Protective barriers between poll workers and voters at check-in and ballot tables.

• Special sanitation kits at each precinct to ensure clean tables, voting booths and voting machines throughout the voting process.

• Professional sanitizing of each voting location before and after use.

• Additional workers at each voting location to assist with sanitizing, line control, and curbside voting.

• Voting booths will be sanitized after every voter at all stations.

For more information about the 2020 general election, early voting and Election Day, visit the Chatham County Board of Elections website at chathamnc.org/elections or call (919) 545-8500.