Just about everyone of all policial persuasions thinks that the upcoming election is one of – if not the –  most important elections in modern history; but, if you want to vote on Election Day, you need to take action now if you haven’t already registered.

Guilford County residents who want to vote in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election have until 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 to register through the normal voter registration process.

But, in North Carolina, missing Friday’s deadline doesn’t necessarily mean missing the election.

Eligible residents who aren’t registered by Friday can still register and vote at the same time during the state’s early voting period, which begins Thursday, Oct. 15.

That gives voters who miss the regular registration deadline another opportunity – but it also means they’ll have to vote early rather than simply showing up at their regular precinct on Election Day.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections issued a reminder about the approaching deadline on Friday, Oct. 2.

“There’s still time to register to vote in the midterm elections,” State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes said in the announcement. “And eligible individuals who miss this deadline to vote on Election Day can still register and vote during the early voting period.”

North Carolina residents with a state driver’s license or NC Division of Motor Vehicles identification card can submit a voter registration application online through the DMV.

Residents can also submit a paper voter registration application to the Guilford County Board of Elections. Applications delivered to the Elections Department must arrive by 5 p.m. Friday. Applications sent through the mail must be postmarked by Friday.

The State Board is warning residents who wait until the last minute to mail an application that simply dropping it in a mailbox Friday doesn’t necessarily guarantee a Friday postmark. The US Postal Service has said the postmark may not be applied until the mail reaches a processing facility.

Those mailing a registration form near the deadline can request a manual postmark at a post office retail counter.

Anyone who isn’t sure whether they’re already registered can check through the State Board of Elections voter search system. The same system also allows voters to confirm their address, find their Election Day polling place and view their sample ballot.

For those who miss Friday’s deadline, same-day registration is available during early voting.

Under that process, an eligible voter can go to any early voting location in the county, register and then cast a ballot at that location.

Same-day registrants must complete a voter registration application, attest that they meet the eligibility requirements and provide documentation showing their current address.

They’ll also be asked to show an acceptable photo ID when voting.

The same-day option is one reason that North Carolina’s voter registration deadline isn’t quite as final as it sounds.

There generally is no same-day registration on Election Day itself. A voter who waits until Nov. 3 and isn’t already properly registered usually can’t simply register at the precinct and vote.

The deadline comes as Guilford County prepares to open 17 early voting locations – the final result of a lengthy debate earlier this year over where those sites should be.

The Guilford County Board of Elections voted 4-1 in July for a plan based largely on the county’s 2022 midterm election plan, with two sites added: Stokesdale Town Hall and Union Square Campus on East Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro.

Democratic board member Carolyn Bunker opposed that plan and submitted an alternative that would have included early voting sites at UNC Greensboro and NC A&T State University instead of Stokesdale Town Hall and Union Square.

Because state law requires county election boards to approve early voting plans unanimously, the disagreement went to the State Board of Elections for a final decision.

Guilford County Elections Director Charlie Collicutt told the Rhino Times in August that the State Board wasn’t required simply to pick one of the two plans submitted locally.

“They typically do choose one or the other, but they don’t have to,” Collicutt said at the time. “They could craft something, a hybrid. They could go a different direction. They could tweak here and tweak there.”

The final schedule now posted by Guilford County includes Stokesdale Town Hall and Union Square Campus among the 17 early voting sites.

All 17 locations are scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 –  just one day before the new iPhone Duo pre-orders begin, speaking of other big events.

Early voting will continue through Halloween – Saturday, Oct. 31 – ending at 3 p.m. that day.

During that period, Guilford County voters can cast a ballot at any of the county’s early voting locations. That’s different from Election Day, when voters generally must go to the polling place assigned to their precinct.

Most Guilford early voting sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, with weekend voting also available.

The county will once again post approximate wait times on line for its early voting locations once voting begins.

The November ballot includes North Carolina’s US Senate race, US House races, seats in the NC General Assembly, one NC Supreme Court race and three NC Court of Appeals races, along with Guilford County and other local contests.

Election Day may be Tuesday, Nov. 3 – but for anyone who hasn’t registered yet, the first key date is this Friday.

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