By Sharon Main

For the Salisbury Post

Absentee ballots are ballots mailed directly to the voter to be completed and mailed or delivered back to the board of elections office. In North Carolina, any registered voter may request, receive and vote via a mail-in absentee ballot. There are many reasons a voter may need to request this method of voting. Some voters are in medical or nursing home facilities and unable to travel to the polls to vote. Some voters are out of the country in the military or working overseas. Others may just be out of town or working a heavy schedule that does not permit time to vote in person.

To request an absentee ballot, you must be a registered voter, complete an Absentee Ballot Request Form and submit it to the board of elections by Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. The form can be filled out and submitted online through the State Board of Elections secure portal at votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home. Paper forms can also be printed from the Rowan County Board of Elections website at www.rowancountync.gov/Elections under the Quick Links section or you can call 704-216-8140 and request a form be mailed to you.

When you complete an absentee request form you will need to supply certain personal information. You can request the ballot for yourself, a near relative or someone who asks for help due to a disability. Required information on the form includes:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• N.C. driver’s license number or the last four digits of Social Security Number
• Residential address (where voter lives)
• A mailing address (where the ballot is to be sent)
• Voter’s signature — the voter should sign or make their mark if completing the form for themself. If a near relative, legal guardian or person assisting someone with a disability requests a ballot on their behalf, the requestor will sign the form in section 7 instead of the voter signing. But a signature is required to process the form.

Once completed, forms must be sent or returned to the board of elections office. Forms can be mailed to our office at 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. W., Suite D10, Salisbury, NC 28147 or they can be delivered in person. Voters returning forms in person will sign a log stating their name and whose forms they are submitting.

As forms are received, they are processed, and the voter will receive an absentee ballot packet in the mail. Each packet includes specific instructions on how to complete the ballot and return it. In order for a ballot to be counted the instructions need to be followed so all required components are met. This includes:

• Marking the ballot in the presence of two witnesses or a notary. The witnesses or notary do not need to see who you are voting for just that you are the one completing the ballot.
• Placing the ballot in the ballot envelope and sealing it.
• The voter signing the ballot envelope confirming this is their ballot. Power of attorney signatures are not acceptable. If the voter cannot sign their name due to disability, they must still make their mark on the signature line.
• Two witnesses or a notary completing their section on the ballot envelope and signing confirming the voter completed the ballot and signed the envelope. A notary cannot charge you a fee for this service.
  • If the voter is disabled and assistance was required to mark the ballot, the person giving assistance will also complete and sign in the Voter Assistant Certification portion of the envelope.
• A copy of the voter’s valid ID is required to be placed in the sleeve on the outside of the ballot envelope.
  • If a valid ID is not available one can be obtained at the Board of Elections office for free, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until Saturday, November 2nd at 3:00 p.m.
  • Or a Photo ID Exception form can be completed stating the reason for the lack of a valid ID. Correctly completed ID Exception forms are acceptable to process and count the ballot.

Once the ballot and envelope have been completed, the sealed ballot envelope is placed in the Official Ballot Return Envelope to be mailed or returned to the Board of Elections. Postage to return the ballot by mail is $1.77. Three Forever stamps will cover this cost. Voters who worry about placing their ballot in the mail can sign up to track their ballot through the BallotTrax system. This system allows the voter to receive texts telling them where their ballot is in the process and lets them know when our office receives it.

Ballots returned to the office in person will require a log be signed stating who returned the ballots and for which voters. A near relative or anyone assisting a voter with a disability can return a ballot.
Ballots must be received by Election Day, Nov. 5, by 7:30 p.m. to be accepted. If it arrives after Election Day, it will not be counted. It is strongly recommended that you complete your ballot as soon as you receive it and mail it back as soon as possible to ensure it arrives on time.

Although there are several steps to completing an absentee ballot, this method of voting serves as a secure option for voters who need it. Currently, the Rowan County Board of Elections is receiving and processing Absentee Ballot Request Forms. Ballots will start going out soon. There is currently a state-wide hold on mailing them out as we switch to ballots that no longer have the We the People presidential candidate on them. If you have any questions regarding absentee ballots, contact our office at rowan.boe@rowancountync.gov or call us at 704-216-8140.