EARLY VOTING
Early Voting allows any registered voter to cast a ballot in person on select days prior to Election Day.
Early voting will be conducted at the Stanly County County Commons prior to every election. Additional sites are determined prior to each election. The dates, times, and locations of early voting sites will be posted in the newspaper legal ads section, at the Board of Elections office, and on this website before each primary and election. Stanly County voters can cast a ballot at any early voting site in the county.
Voters can update their name or address at an early voting site, but not their party affiliation. Party changes must be made 30 days before any primary or election.
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Currently, persons who are not registered in a county may register to vote during the early voting period. This process is called “Same-Day Registration.” Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility and provide proof of residence. A voter attests to their eligibility by completing a Voter Registration Application and affixing their signature under penalty of a Class I felony, after which the voter must prove their residence by presenting any of the following showing the voter’s current name and current address:
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North Carolina driver’s license;
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Other photo identification issued by a government agency;
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A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s current name and address; OR
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A current college/university photo identification card paired with a current roster prepared by the college/university and transmitted to the county board of elections office, which lists all students residing in campus housing facilities.
Any government-issued photo identification card is acceptable, so long as the card bears the registrant’s current name and current address. Such cards may be expired, but the name and address must be current.
VOTING BY MAIL
Requesting a Ballot
Any registered North Carolina voter may request an absentee ballot be sent to them by mail. No excuse is needed to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, complete the State Absentee Ballot Request Form. The State Absentee Ballot Request Form may only be signed by the voter or a voter’s near relative or legal guardian. A near relative is considered to be a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild of the voter. A Power of Attorney does NOT have this authority.
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A completed State Absentee Ballot Request Form may be mailed or delivered in person by the voter, voter's near relative, or a verifiable legal guardian to the county Board of Elections office.
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Requested ballots will be mailed within 2 business days from the time the completed request form was received. You can check the status of your absentee ballot by visiting the NC Public Voter search website.
2024 2nd Primary: Requests must be received by 5:00pm on May 7, 2024
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Voting the Ballot
After receiving the ballot:
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Read the instructions enclosed
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Remember to use a black ball point pen
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Complete the back of the return envelope with the signature of the voter, TWO witnesses, and the signature of the person who assisted the voter if assistance was necessary. Don't forget to have the witnesses include their address. A ballot CANNOT be counted if you do not complete this step.
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Provide a copy of the voter's acceptable photo ID or completed exception form in the envelope provided.
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Place all items inside the return envelope for delivery to the Board of Election's office.
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2024 2nd Primary: Ballots will be mailed starting on March 28, 2024
2024 2nd Primary: Ballots must be received at the Board of Elections office no later than 7:30PM on May 14, 2024
Returning a Ballot
Ballots must be received at the Board of Elections Office by 7:30 PM on the day of the Election, including ballots returned by mail.
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Ballots can be delivered in person by the voter, a near relative, or verifiable legal guardian, or by a person of the voter's choice if the voter needs assistance returning their ballot due to a disability.
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MILITARY/OVERSEAS CITIZENS
​Military and Overseas citizens can request their ballot using the State Absentee Ballot Request Form, or they may use one of the following options:
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Use a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote and request an absentee ballot.
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Use a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to register to vote and vote in all federal, state, and local elections for which the voter is eligible. This form serves as the voter's official ballot.
Receiving the Ballot
You may choose to receive your ballot by postal mail, email, or fax. Designate this on the State Absentee Request Form or the FPCA.
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Voting the Ballot​
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Remember to use a black ball point pen.
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Complete the application on the back of the return envelope when mailing your ballot.
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Sign your application. Your ballot CANNOT be counted if you do not complete this step.
Returning the Ballot
Military and Overseas ballots must be transmitted by 12:01 am on the day of the election (voter time) and must be received by the county no later than 5:00 pm on the day before canvass.
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ELECTION DAY VOTING
Precincts and Polling Locations
You must be a resident of the county and precinct in which you are voting for 30 days prior to the election or primary. The deadline to register or update your information for election day voting is 25 days before election day. If you have moved and not updated your information with the Elections office by this date, or you are uncertain where to go, please contact our office.
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Voters are assigned to polling locations based on where they live. Polling places are open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Voters who are in line and waiting to vote at 7:30 p.m. will be permitted to cast a ballot.
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Assisting Voters
Voters who need assistance in marking their ballot must inform an official of this need, stating the reason. The official will determine if assistance is appropriate and ask the voter to point out the person they would like to assist them. Any voter may receive assistance from a near relative without a reason for needing the assistance. Voters that are blind, illiterate, or physically disabled may receive assistance from someone of their choice. Persons giving assistance must not persuade the voter to vote in any particular way. They may not make notes of anything which occurs in the voting booth, or reveal to any person how the voter marked the ballot. Persons that may not give assistance are a voter’s employer, an agent of that employer, or an agent or officer of the voter’s union.
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Accessibility and Curbside Voting at the Polling Place
​All polling places have an accessible entrance. Inside the polling place there are accessible voting booths that offer wheelchair access or the voter can choose seated voting at a tabletop accessible voting booth. Magnifiers are also available upon request by the voter at each polling place.
Additionally, every polling place has an accessible voting machine called the ExpressVote. It marks the ballot for the voter based on the voters selection using either the touch screen or Braille keypad. The ExpressVote offers a variety of options to the voter such as a zoom in/out feature for larger print reading, and a high contrast feature for easier viewing. Headphones are provided allowing the voter to have their ballot read to them and hear the selections that have been made. When finished the ballot will print listing only the voter's selections. This allows the voter to review their choices before casting it into the ballot tabulator.
Voters who are unable to enter the polling place due to age or physical disability may vote curbside. Curbside voting is available at each precinct and designated by signs which read, “Curbside Voting”. Each sign is equipped with a touch pad that alerts precinct officials inside the polling place. A precinct official will provide the voter with their voting application and ballot, allowing them to vote from their car. When the voter has finished, the precinct official will return to the voting enclosure and deposit the voters ballot into the tabulator.
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Provisional Voting
A Provisional ballot is offered to a voter when there are questions about the voter’s eligibility that cannot be determined by the official at the precinct. Provisional ballots are sealed in envelopes and sent to the Board of Elections. The Elections office will look for evidence to verify the voter’s eligibility. Additionally, the voter may present any information or documentation regarding their eligibility to the Board of Elections office prior to canvass. If the voter is determined to be eligible to vote, the ballot is counted by the members of the county board before the results of the election are made final. ​