The Guilford County Board of Elections is planning to hold two educational seminars in Guilford County that will help explain to citizens the ins and outs of the state’s new voter ID Law.
The first such seminar will be held in Proctor Hall on the campus of NC A &T State University on Monday, July 22 at 6 p.m. The elections department also plans to hold another educational event at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown on Monday, August 19.
In the November 2018 election, North Carolina voters approved an amendment to the NC Constitution to require voters to present photo ID at the polls. So, beginning next year, North Carolina voters will have to show their photo ID’s before they vote. This encompasses both in-person and by-mail voting – with a few exceptions.
Part of the new law requires that the county boards of elections across the state hold at least two voter ID seminars prior to September 1, 2019. These seminars just scheduled will meet that requirement.
Guilford County Board of Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said that the educational side of the event will be handled by the NC Board of Elections office and he referred the Rhino Times to a memo from the state board to county boards.
“Attendees also will receive information about voting options, including absentee-by-mail, One-Stop early voting and Election Day voting,” it states. “Information about provisional voting, the availability of free North Carolina voter ID cards and residency requirements for voting also will be provided.”
Just over the county line, the Forsyth County Board of Elections will also hold educational seminars regarding the new requirements. The events in that county will be at 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1 – both at the Forsyth County Board of Elections office at 201 N. Chestnut St. in Winston-Salem.
The seminars in both counties are free and open to the public and no one will need to show an ID to get in.
Anyone who wants more information on the new voter ID requirement can find it online at www.ncsbe.gov/Voter-ID.
The Forsyth County Board of Elections is also holding an open house, on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to kick off the 2019 election season.
The Forsyth County elections board is encouraging citizens to meet the county’s elections staff so staff can show citizens what goes on before, during and after an election. People who go to that event will learn about voter registration, absentee voting, voting machines, ballot tabulation and ballot integrity. They’ll also learn things such as how to form a committee and become a candidate or a poll worker.
