CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Orange County Board of Elections has spent the past week setting up early voting sites. Equipment was dropped off Feb. 12 and will be finished setting up the day before early voting starts.
The Board of Elections will be at five early voting sites in the county including, the Carrboro Town Hall Complex, Chapel Hill Library, Chapel of the Cross, Seymour Center, Efland Cheeks Community Center and DDS Orange Works.
Joe Rosemond, the facility manager at Chapel of the Cross, said he expects a big turnout for the primary’s early voting period.
Rosemond said he will also take advantage of early voting because it is convenient. He said he recommends that other people do the same.
With 16 races on the primary ballot, voter educators are trying to help people know who is on their ballot and what they need to know before going to vote.
Marques Thompson, organizing director of Democracy NC, a nonpartisan organization, said he has answered questions from voters all week to ensure that every voter knows what to expect and that their vote matters.
“The most important thing we’ve been trying to do is make sure that people know that the primaries are happening and that they need their photo ID to vote,” said Thompson. “We also want them to know who’s going to be on their ballot.”
In May 2023, the NC Supreme Court overturned the ruling that the requirement to show a photo ID at polling places was unconstitutional. People who do not have a photo ID can fill out an ID exception form to explain their reasons for not having one. If the form is filled out correctly, they will still be able to vote.
Thompson said he has heard from voters that they feel disappointed about the upcoming election because they might not be represented by their candidates or that their vote doesn’t really matter in such a big election. Thompson said all voting matters and that it is all about perspective.
“Bring your friend to vote. Sometimes we like to think of it as an intellectual endeavor, but really, it’s a social endeavor,” said Thompson. “It’s an emotional endeavor. Say ‘Hey, this is part of my civic duty but it’s also something I care about culturally.’”
For more information about early voting and the NC primary election, use these websites as resources. Here voters can check their registration status, view a sample ballot, request an absentee ballot, and check for updates or changes.