Where to vote in NC: When polls open in North Carolina and how to find your polling place

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. On this day, registered voters in North Carolina may vote at their assigned polling place. This is different than early voting, where eligible individuals may cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county.

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Polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m: Any voter in line at their assigned polling place at the time that polls close will be able to vote. The busiest times tend to be early in the morning and just before the polls close. Avoid longer lines by voting at off-peak times.

In an afternoon news briefing, the North Carolina State Board of Elections said four polls opened late Tuesday morning: one in Cabarrus County that had a computer issue and opened 17 minutes late, one in Guilford county that opened 34 minutes late, one in Sampson County that opened 45 minutes late, and another in Sampson County that opened 24 minutes late.

Because of these delays, the Board of Elections opted to extend the hours for the polling location at the Sampson County Plainview Fire Station for 45 additional minutes, the Bluford Elementary School in Guilford County for 34 minutes, the First Missionary Baptist Church in Cabarrus County for 17 minutes, and the Northeast Clinton Sampson County Adult Daycare in Sampson County for 24 minutes.

Later in the evening six more sites had their hours extended. In Cabarrus County, voting will be extended at the Flowes Store Volunteer FIre Station until 8:09 p.m. In Sampson County, voting at the Keener Halls Fire Station will be extended until 8:10 p.m. and at the West Clinton Sampson Community College until 7:51 p.m. In Warren County, voting will be extended until 7:55 p.m. at Fishing Creek Arcola Volunteer Fire Department, 7:53 p.m. at the Judkins Vaughan Elementary School, and 8 p.m. at the Smith Creek Zion Methodist Church.

By law, no polling places can begin reporting results until all locations have closed statewide, which means results will be delayed until at least 8:15 p.m. Results could be delayed further if voters are still in line at that time.

"With 2,660 polling sites, it is not unusual for minor issues to occur at polling sites that result in a brief disruption of voting. The State Board routinely meets to discuss the extension of hours when the need arises," the Board of Elections wrote in an emailed statement.

For absentee voters, a recent Supreme Court ruling allows the North Carolina State Board of Elections to accept absentee ballots up until Nov. 12, as long as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

However, absentee ballots handed in in-person will not be accepted at polling places on Election Day. They must be taken to your county's board of election office by 5 p.m.

So far more than 4.5 million people have voted in North Carolina. The state board of elections said approximately 145,000 voters who requested an absentee ballot have yet to either return their ballot or vote in-person at an early voting location.

FAQs

Question: Can I register to vote on Election Day?

Answer: No. The regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election. Any eligible individual who misses that deadline may register and vote during the one-stop early voting period at any early voting site in their county.

Question: Do I need an ID to vote?

Answer: Voters are not required to show ID for elections in 2020.

Question: What if there are questions about my registration or eligibility to vote?

Answer: No voter should be turned away. If questions arise about a voter's eligibility to vote, the voter may vote a Provisional Ballot.

Question: Can I vote if I'm sick?

Answer: Yes. Curbside voting is available for anyone who requests it. You just need to get in the curbside voting line, immediately tell poll workers you are ill, wear a mask, and keep your distance.

If you need a ride to the polls, area public transportation in several cities will not charge rider fees if you are headed to your polling site. Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft are offering discounts. Lyft will give you 50% off your total fare, up to $10, if you use the promo code "2020VOTE".

Free food and other Election Day 2020 deals

Uber will offer riders 50% off roundtrip rides up to $7 each way or up to $14 for the roundtrip. Scooters and bikes are included in this deal.

Lastly, once Election Day is officially over, the SBOE will begin publishing unofficial results. These results include all in-person one-stop early voting, all by-mail absentee votes received by 5pm Monday, and all election day results excluding provisional ballots. The SBOE believes these figures will make up 97% of all ballots cast.

If you've experienced a problem at your polling center, let us know below.