Voting in Buncombe County: Everything you need to know before Election Day 2024
The 2024 election cycle has been rife with unexpected twists and turns, from an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden stepping down as the Democratic nominee. Now, there are less than two months between the American people and Election Day.
There are 80 voting precincts in Buncombe County, new voter ID laws active since 2023, and a variety of deadlines for registration, absentee ballot submission and more.
Here's what you need to know about Election Day to ensure your vote is counted.
When is Election Day?
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. All voting precincts in Buncombe County are open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. As long as you are in line by 7:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to vote.
How to check voter registration status
Visit the NC State Board of Elections voter search application at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.
You can also view a sample ballot with the same application.
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How to register to vote in NC
There are two primary ways of registering to vote in N.C.:
Register through the DMV in person or with a simple online form.
Fill out a voter registration form in English or Spanish and mail it to the NCSBE at the address provided on the form.
Where is my voting location?
Use the "election precincts" tab on Buncombe County's district map to locate the correct precinct for in-person voting.
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Do I need an ID to vote in NC?
As of 2023, N.C. voters are required to provide identification in order to vote with a normal ballot. Bring one of the following to the polls (unexpired or expired for one year or less):
NC driver’s license.
State ID from the NCDMV (also called “non-operator ID”).
Driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory (only if voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election).
U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card.
NC voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections.
College or university student ID approved by the NCSBE.
State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the NCSBE.
You can also use the following as forms of voter ID regardless of whether the ID has an expiration or issuance date:
Military or veterans ID card (with photo) issued by the U.S. government.
Tribal enrollment card (with photo) issued by a tribe recognized by the State of North Carolina or the federal government.
ID card (with photo) issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program.
The NCSBE added that all voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID. Read about exceptions and provisional ballots on the dedicated page at www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id#exceptions.
Curbside voting
For any N.C. voter unable to enter voting locations due to age or disability, curbside voting is available. Pull up to the curbside voting sign at your precinct, and an election official will come out to assist you.
Curbside voting is available during early voting and on Election Day at all voting locations. Photo ID rules still apply to curbside voting.
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Absentee voting in NC
Visit the NCSBE Absentee Ballot Portal at votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home to request an absentee ballot, access military/overseas voter ballot or accessible ballot.
The absentee ballot request deadline is Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections by Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The absentee ballots were supposed to start going out Sept. 6, but because former presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the race and requested his name be taken off the ballot, the sending of the ballots to the public has been delayed.
Voting deadlines
Some important dates for the 2024 election to be aware of:
Sept. 6, 2024: Absentee ballots in the mail (delayed)
Sept. 17, 2024: National Voter Registration Day
Oct. 11, 2024: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.)
Oct. 17, 2024: In-person early voting begins (same-day registration available)
Oct 29, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.)
Nov. 2, 2024: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.)
Nov. 5, 2024: Election Day (6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.)
Nov. 5 , 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.)
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Election Day 2024 Buncombe County, NC: Early voting dates, voter ID