Are you unable to make it to your usual polling station? Don't fret. Here is everything you need to know about how to vote by mail in the upcoming primary election on March 5.
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Any registered voter in North Carolina can request, receive and vote using a mail-in absentee ballot.
There are two ways to request a ballot: online at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal, or on paper through the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. After completing the form, you can submit it to your county board of elections in person or by mail through USPS, DHL, FedEx or UPS.
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The deadline to request an absentee ballot is the Tuesday before Election Day. For the upcoming primary, the deadline falls on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Voters using the mail-in voting option are encouraged to fill out their ballot and turn it in as soon as possible. In order for your ballot to count, it must arrive at your county board of elections completed and signed by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark of this date will not count.
Also, voters who vote by mail have to include a photocopy of an acceptable ID.
SEE ALSO | Detailed step-by-step instructions for voting by mail
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Once submitted, absentee voters can track their ballots in the mail. Once a request is sent in, you can track its status from printed to accepted by signing up for notifications through BallotTrax.
Mail-in voting is particularly useful for those in the military and overseas. There are accessible resources for those with disabilities and those in care facilities.
North Carolina will hold its general election on November 5.