Nov. 6 is Election Day. Are you registered?
If you are 18 years of age or older, there are five ways to register to vote in New Hanover County. You can register by mail, in person at a county elections office, in person at a one-stop absentee voting site, in person at a government office, or in person during a voter registration drive.
When you go to register, you must provide identification in the form of a North Carolina driver’s license, identification card, passport or military identification card. If you do not have any of these, you may present a form of identification displaying your name and address, such as a utility bill or document from a government agency alongside your voter registration form. Contact the New Hanover County Board of Elections if you have questions as to whether or not a document is acceptable.
If you choose to register by mail, voter registration forms most be postmarked or delivered in person by 5 p.m. on Oct. 12. If you choose to register online, registration forms can be downloaded from the county’s board of elections website. Once completed, forms should mailed to the New Hanover County Board of Elections Office at 230 Government Center Drive, Suite 180, Wilmington, N.C. 28403.
One-stop absentee voting sites are an easy way to both register and vote at the same time, whether you are a New Hanover County resident or not. One-stop voting begins Thursday, Oct. 18 through Saturday, Nov. 3. Individuals who wish to register using the one-stop absentee method must simply show up at one of the numerous one-stop voting sites around town with identification and proof of residency. Optional flu shots will be available at many one-stop voting sites.
Registration drives are another simple way to register. Many civic groups and political parties set up tables at community events and businesses to help register voters. Typically, these registration drives will submit your application for you.
If you are a student, state law allows for you to claim your college community as your home for voting purposes. Students on campus must use the address of their residence halls as their home address, not the university’s main address. Students who choose to register at one-stop voting sites need to bring their student ID cards along with a letter from the university showing their residence hall as their proof of residency. Students’ campus box numbers must also be provided, as the board of elections needs to be able to contact them by mail to complete the registration process.
Once an application is complete, applicants should expect to receive their voter registration cards within 1-2 weeks.
Polls will open on Election Day at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. If you need transportation to the polls, WAVE Transit will be waiving its transit fees the day of the election.
