Deadlines, sites, ID, and the student stuff, before the Oct. 9 registration cutoff.
The date that matters most is not Nov. 3. It is Friday, Oct. 9, at 5pm. That is the last day to register the regular way for this election in Watauga, Ashe, or Avery County. Miss it and you can still register, but only in person during early voting, at the site where you vote, with proof of where you live. It works. It also adds a step.
• Fri. Oct. 9, 5pm. Registration closes.
• Thu. Oct. 15 to Sat. Oct. 31. Early voting. The last day ends at 3pm.
• Tue. Oct. 20, 5pm. Last day to request a mail ballot.
• Tue. Nov. 3. Election day. Polls are open 6:30am to 7:30pm, and anyone in line at 7:30 still votes. Mail ballots are due by 7:30pm.
During early voting you can use any early-voting site in the county where you're registered. Watauga has six sites. Ashe and Avery have one each. Our vote page lists every site, address, and hour straight from the State Board of Elections, so check it before you go.
The weekends are where the counties differ. Watauga's sites and Avery's site are closed the weekends of Oct. 17 and 18 and Oct. 24 and 25. Ashe's site is open the Saturdays of Oct. 17 and 24, 8am to 3pm. All three are open Saturday, Oct. 31, until 3pm. Weekdays run 8am to 7:30pm in Watauga and Ashe and 8am to 4:30pm in Avery, so an after-work trip to Newland needs to happen early.
Election day is different. On Nov. 3 you vote at your assigned precinct, not at any site. The state's polling place lookup tells you where that is.
Pick one place. North Carolina lets students register at their campus address if they don't plan to move back home after graduation. If you aren't sure, you can register at school or at your old home address. You get one vote either way.
Moved dorms or apartments since you registered? Look yourself up at the state's registration lookup before you go. If the move stayed inside the same county, you can update your address when you check in to vote early.
Registering at an early-voting site means bringing proof of where you live, and living in the county for at least 30 days before Election Day. Count back from Nov. 3 and that is Oct. 4. For proof, a bill, bank statement, or paycheck with your name and current address works. So does a document from your school showing your name and residence address, like an invoice, a transcript, or a screenshot from a student portal. At a public college, any acceptable photo ID goes with it. At a private college, bring a student ID from that school that is on the state's approved list.
A photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID or tribal enrollment card all count. So do many college IDs. App State's is on the state's approved list, and the list shows which other schools made it.
No ID doesn't mean no vote. Left it at home? Go get it and come back, or vote a provisional ballot and bring your ID to the county elections office by noon on the fifth business day after Election Day. Can't show one at all? Fill out a Photo ID Exception Form at the site and vote a provisional ballot. Mail voters put a copy of their ID, or an exception form, in the envelope.
Check your registration. It takes a minute, and it is the one thing you can't fix on election day, because same-day registration only runs during early voting. Then keep the vote page open in a tab. It links your county board of elections if you get stuck. Tell a roommate.
Josh Owen edits left917. Send tips and corrections to studio@left917.net.
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