LIVE | What to know if you're voting on Midterm Election Day
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- It is Election Day and if you didn't cast your ballot during early voting, this is your last chance to to do so. State Board of Elections officials held a press conference on Tuesday morning and revealed four polling sites opened late, but no other major issues have been reported.
Here are some things you should know before you head out.
When Are Polls Open?
Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Any voter in line at their assigned polling place at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote.
Find Your Polling Place
On Election Day you have to vote in your designated polling place. There are two ways you can find your polling place county-by-county in North Carolina:
1. You can do on that on the SBOE site by entering your information into the voter search
2. Search using your address with the SBOE Election Day polling place search
Friendly reminders
- As of 2022, You do not need to show a photo ID to vote in North Carolina, according to State Board of Elections.
- Photographing your ballot is illegal in NC.
- It is illegal to vote twice in an election.
Absentee Ballots
If you requested an absentee ballot completed forms must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the voter's county board of elections by Monday, November 14. Ballots without a postmark must be received by November 8.
You can access the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal here.
Want to see your ballot before heading to the poll? Click on Sample Ballot and enter your information.
Midterm races on the ballot include:
- One U.S. Senate seat
- 14 U.S. House seats
- Several state offices (General Assembly, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals
- Local judges and prosecutors
- Sheriff
- School board members
Who is my state legislator?
If you want to know who is your legislator and what district you are in, click on the North Carolina General Assembly find your legislator tool.
Voters should look up their voting districts, which may have changed due to redistricting.
US Congressional Representatives for NC
All 14 of North Carolina's Congressional seats are on the ballot in November's midterm elections. In Wake County a new sheriff will be chosen.
Hot US Senate Race to Represent NC
Ted Budd and Cheri Beasley: There is also a high-profile U.S. Senate race in NC that could have big implications for both parties depending on who wins that race.
Did you vote-by-mail via Absentee Ballot
For absentee ballots, you can utilize BallotTrax, which allows you to track your by-mail ballots from the point of your request to when they're accepted.
How are mail-in and absentee ballots verified?
Election officials log every mail ballot so voters cannot request more than one. Those ballots also are logged when they are returned, checked against registration records and, in many cases, voter signatures are on file to ensure the voter assigned to the ballot is the one who cast it. Still, mail ballots are one of the most frequent targets of misinformation around voting, despite fraud being rare.
What's a Provisional Ballot?
In North Carolina, a voter receives a provisional ballot when questions arise about: The voter's qualification to vote, the voter's eligibility to vote in a given election, or the voter's eligibility to vote a specific ballot style. Election officials hold provisional ballots aside as they conduct research about the voter's eligibility. County board of elections officials make final determinations about voter eligibility. Election results are not finalized until all provisional ballots that are eligible are counted.
Midterm Election and trust
"We tested over 165,000 test ballots, what's called logic and accuracy testing, just to guarantee that we would have accurate results on election day," explained Gary Sims, Director of Elections for the Wake County Board of Elections.
There are steps you can take to ensure your votes are being counted, whether you voted in-person or absentee. Through the State Board of Elections website, you can look up your registration status and voter history, which details the previous elections you participated in. The site also allows you to view a sample ballot to confirm your polling location. For those who vote on election day, it's typically recorded online within 10-15 days.
'Checks and balances are in place': NC Election officials work to ensure transparency, voters trust
Voter intimidation
According to the ACLU, Voter intimidation is attempting to interfere with your or anyone's right to vote, it may be voter intimidation and a violation of federal law. Examples of intimidation may include: aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote , in a manner intended to interfere with the voters' rights falsely presenting oneself as an elections official spreading false information about voter requirements, such as an ability to speak English, or the need to present certain types of photo identification (in states with no such requirement) displaying false or misleading signs about voter fraud and the related criminal pen.
How to report voter intimidation
- Call the Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-687-8683 or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español)
- Report to your local county election officials, including poll workers; your county clerk, elections commissioner, elections supervisor; or your state board of elections. See NC rules here.
- The U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971
More Elections Information to Know
Election terms and history every voter should know for midterm election 2022
Bonds on the ballot
Here's a look at bonds voter will decide on in Wake and Durham counties
Big issues and high stakes in the battle for control of NC General Assembly
How to Get Election Results on ABC11
On election night, ABC11 Eyewitness News will bring you local, state and national news updates on our live stream from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and at 10 p.m. through 11:30 p.m.
Here's how and where to watch
ABC11 on your TV
Voter Guide QR Code
