Voter Suppression, North Carolina, Early Voting

Be Prepared November 6: Check Your Eligibility to Vote

 

By:  Mildred Robertson

Turnout is going to be a key component in the determination of our nation’s future direction as we go to the polls in November. With North Carolina established as a key battleground state, it is important that every citizen be prepared to do his or her civic duty and vote in the November 6, 2012 election.

If you are a North Carolina citizen and you are not sure whether you are registered to vote, you need to make sure. You can go online to check your eligibility at http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx?Feature=voterinfo.  There you can determine your eligibility, your voting history and where you are supposed to vote. After September 22, you also will be able to download a sample ballot for the November election.

In the 2008 Presidential Election it was 14,000 votes that tilted the balance in President Obama’s favor in North Carolina. New voting districts drawn by the Republican led legislature may dilute the minority vote in this year’s election and threaten North Carolina’s tenuous position as a Democratic-leaning state.  

Early voting has also been an issue across the nation. In North Carolina, one-stop absentee voting allows registered voters to go in person to their county board of elections or an alternative location to vote an absentee ballot. One-stop absentee voting is conducted starting on the third Thursday before an election and ends on the last Saturday before the election. This year, early voting will begin on October 18 and the last day to cast your early voting ballot is Saturday, Nov. 3. You should check with your county board of elections to determine early voting time, dates and locations. 

North Carolina residents should go to http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx?Feature=voterinfo. Enter your name, address and date of birth to access your voter information for the county in which you live. If you live in another state, check with your state board of elections to determine your eligibility and early voting options.