In Guilford County, voters will show up – albeit a small percentage of them – at the polls to cast their votes on Election Day, which, this time around, falls on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Across North Carolina, registered voters in 447 cities, towns and villages will vote in 88 counties, with the 12 remaining counties not having any race to decide. Voters will cast ballots for mayors, council members and, in some cases, boards of education or water and sewer district commissioners.
Several towns in the state also have various referenda on the ballot.
In light of the important day, the North Carolina State Board of Elections has offered a number of reminders and tips for Election Day voters that everyone needs to keep in mind so they don’t face any surprises when they show up to vote.
Here they are…
- Eligibility: To vote in a town or city election, you must live and be registered in that municipality. Use the State Board’s online voter search tool to confirm your eligibility and view your sample ballot. If no sample ballot appears, that means you may not be eligible to vote in this election. If that happens, check and make sure.
- Polling Hours: Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. will still be allowed to vote. (Lines are unlikely to be a problem in Guilford County due to the low voter turnout these municipal elections usually see.)
- Polling Place: Voters must go to their assigned polling place on Election Day. You can find yours using the state’s online voter search tool.
- Photo ID Required: You’ll be asked to show a photo ID when checking in. Most people use a driver’s license; however, there are several acceptable forms. You can view the entire list online at the State Board’s site. Now, if you can’t show ID, you can still vote “provisionally” and either complete an ID Exception Form at the polling place or bring your ID to the Guilford County Board of Elections by noon on Friday, Nov. 7.
- Registration Deadline: Regular registration ended on Friday, Oct. 10. Same-day registration isn’t allowed on Election Day – except for new US citizens or voters whose rights were restored after a felony conviction.
- Returning Absentee Ballots: Voters can hand-deliver completed absentee ballots to their county’s board of elections during business hours or before 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
- Assistance and Accessibility: Voters who need help should inform an election official when they arrive. Curbside voting is available only for voters who can’t enter the polling place due to age or disability.
- Provisional Ballots: If your name isn’t on the voter list of registered voters, you can vote provisionally. About a week later, check the status of your ballot through the provisional search tool online.
- Voter Intimidation: State and federal law strictly prohibit intimidating voters or obstructing access to polling places. Violations can mean fines, prison time or both. Anyone who feels harassed before casting their vote is being asked to alert an election official immediately.
- Election Results: Unofficial results will appear in real time on the Guilford County Board of Elections site.
In Guilford County, 20 years ago, many candidates and other people would come out to the Old Guilford County Court House in downtown Greensboro. It would be packed. It’s a fun place to view the results with those in the races, the media and the political junkies who show up. While coming down to the old court house seemed to be dying out, in recent years that practice seems to be making a comeback.
Use it, or lose it.
Great detail Scott. Every eligible voter should be voting! 10% of eligible voters put current candidates on Tuesday’s ballot.
How many will choose future leaders in local elections? My guess is less than 15%.
Voter apathy is a moral crime.
Yeah it probably flies in the face of free choice but I’d like to see a fee assessed to registered voters who avoid voting.
they are satisfied/lazy with the ‘status quo’ ?
Already witnessed one person attempt to vote without a picture ID at 8:30 this morning, when EVERYONE knows it is the law now. She was sent away. How many more people will attempt to get around the law and test the poll workers in the local election, not to mention the national one in 2026?
Jtruit8, yeah, it’s sad. What’s worse, she may have kids.
At White House press briefing today:
Journalist: The President posted that the voting in California is rigged, what evidence does he have for that?
Leavitt: It’s absolutely true that there is fraud in California’s elections. It’s just a fact.
The classic Conservative “I thunk it so it mus be troo” approach to making accusations. They are of course, baseless and blatant lies without any source of evidence. Just another example of Trump being a weak leader pushing lies to divide what was once a great country.
…yawn…
I know right….the blatant lies from the White House have become so much the norm it is a bore.
No Chris again it went over your head. YOU are the BORE
You guys need to learn how to read sarcasm. Lol.
Hint the phrase “I know right” is a clue.
No Chris in all this time you have not figured out that we pull your chain just to see your reaction
I know right.
“Mind your Ps and Qs” is old English for “Mind your Pints & Quarts”. Means the same thing – settle down and behave.
When someone uses the phrase “rule of thumb”, you should ask them what that means. After getting a mumbling reply, you can tell them that in Merry Old England in means that you are allowed to beat your wife with a stick no wider than your thumb.