CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Early voting begins this week for the primaries in North Carolina. You can already vote by absentee ballot.
On April 28, you can start heading to the polls for early voting. This, of course, is not usually the time we vote in the primaries, but the US Census delayed voting.
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OUR SOURCES:
THE FIRST QUESTION:
If you request an absentee ballot, do you need two witness signatures?
THE ANSWER:
Yes, you need two witness signatures on your absentee ballot or get it notarized.
"So the law states in order to vote and return an absentee ballot by mail to us it has to be witnessed by two folks or witnessed by one notary," Dickerson said.
Dickerson told us that in 2020 you only needed one witness's signature because of COVID-19, but now it's back to two signatures.
"If it doesn't come back with two signatures, then we are going to have to send it back to you and then you are going to get frustrated," Dickerson said.
THE NEXT QUESTION:
Can you email or fax your absentee ballot to your County Board of Elections?
THE ANSWER:
No, it is against state law to email or fax your absentee ballot.
"You can download the application, fill it out, sign it and mail it to us or hand-deliver it to us you can't email those applications to us anymore," Dickerson said.
According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, state law does not allow voters to fax or email absentee ballot requests.
Any registered North Carolina voter may receive an absentee ballot. You must turn in your absentee ballot by 5 p.m. on election day May 17.
THE QUESTION:
Can you vote in any primary if you're unaffiliated?
THE ANSWER:
Yes, you can vote in any primary if you're unaffiliated.
According to the North Carolina State Board of Election, unaffiliated voters may choose the Democratic, Libertarian, Republican, or nonpartisan ballot in a primary election.
However, registered party voters must choose a candidate from their own party in the primaries and then vote for whoever they want in the general election.
Once again, early voting starts next week, April 28, and the North Carolina Primary will be Tuesday, May 17.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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