By Sharon Main

For the Salisbury Post

Early voting offers voters in Rowan County the opportunity to cast their ballot before Election Day. This method of voting is widely used and gives options for people with tight work schedules or busy personal obligations to have an opportunity to vote when they are available to do so. Early voting also offers the opportunity to register and vote the same day. The same voter eligibility rules apply as with any voter registration. Folks who are not currently registered must provide a valid photo ID and an additional identification for proof of residence if they wish to complete a same-day registration. More information about  same-day registration can be found at ncsbe.gov.

When a voter enters the early voting site they will start at the check-in table. Voters must state their name and address per North Carolina law General Statute 163-166.7. Next, they must present a valid photo ID. For information on acceptable ID’s visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id.  If you are a registered voter and do not have a valid photo ID, you can get one made at the Rowan County Board of Elections for free during regular business hours and on Saturday, Nov. 2 until 3 p.m. 

Once the voter states their name and address and provides an acceptable photo ID the election worker will locate them on the voter roll and print out an EVA (Early Voting Application) form. The voter will review the information on the form to make sure it is the correct name and address. If everything is correct, the voter will sign the form and the worker will initial it. To sign the form and mark your ballot, you will have the option of using one of the black ballpoint pens provided on site, or you can use your own as long as it is a black ballpoint pen. Next, the voter takes the EVA form and goes to the ballot table to be issued their ballot. 

At the ballot table, the election worker will take the EVA form and match the ballot style indicated on the EVA form to the ballot style printed on the ballot. The worker will use a handheld scanner to make sure the ballot is a match. The scanner and laptop at the ballot table does not record any data. It simply indicates whether or not the ballot is a match. The barcode on the ballot has no data other than the ballot style.

The election worker will write the EVA number on the top of the ballot in the box provided.  Every state is different in the way they conduct elections.  North Carolina law General Statute 163-166.45 states that all ballots cast during early voting must be retrievable therefore these ballots are numbered, and the election worker will be writing the number on the ballot.

Next, the election worker at the ballot table will instruct you how to mark your ballot using the guidance below:

Election workers cannot advise any voter who to vote for and should not engage in any political conversations. They simply provide the opportunity to vote. Please use your sample ballot to do any research on the candidates before coming to vote. 

The ballot for the 2024 General Election has two sides so voters should make sure to review and vote contests on both the front and back of the ballot. You do not have to vote all contests. A sample ballot is shown below: 

Only residents living in the Rowan-Salisbury School District will have the School Board contests and referendum. Residents living in the Kannapolis School District will not have these contest on their ballot. Depending on where you live you will have one of the three NC House of Representative contests. In the sample ballot shown NC House of Representatives District 76 is shown. However, the other two districts at 77 and 83. In District 77, Julia Craven Howard (R) will face Kashmir R. Sibby (D). In District 83, Grant Campbell (R) will challenge Joanne Chesney (D).

If you are not sure which jurisdiction you reside in you can find out by using the voter search tool at this link: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. You can also print off your exact sample ballot from there as well. 

Cetain contests have write-in lines. The contest of President and Vice President of the United States has two certified,  write-in candidates: 

• Shiva Ayyaduari 
• Claudia De La Cruz

The contest of Rowan County Board of Commissioners has only one certified, write-in candidate: Bobby Kemp

All other write-in lines did not require certification and can be the name of a person who meets the eligibility criteria for that contest.

At Early Voting, once you receive your ballot, you will be directed to the voting booths. Using a black ballpoint pen you should fill in the oval beside the candidate or write-in line to make your selections. If you make a mistake, go back to the ballot table to return the spoiled ballot and receive a new one.  All contests are “vote for ONE” except for Rowan County Commissioner where you can “vote for TWO.”  If you mark more than the allowed number of ovals in a contest it will be over-voted and the tabulator will alert you which contest has been over-voted. If you make this mistake you have the option of casting the ballot as is or retrieving your ballot and returning it to the ballot table to be spoiled and receive a new ballot. If you decide to cast the ballot as is, the over voted contest will not be counted but all other contests that are marked correctly will be counted.

Also note, you can use your phone to look up candidate information but you cannot photograph, video or record your ballot  per NC General Statute 163-166.3(c). 

Once you have successfully marked your ballot you will proceed to the tabulator.  You will be directed to insert your ballot into the tabulator. Once you hear the ballot drop you will notice the count on the tabulator increase showing that you have successfully completed voting. Return your black ballpoint pen in the basket provided if you used one of the pens provided and you will receive your “I Voted” sticker.  We no longer have free pens that you can take with you.

Early Voting will begin Thursday, Oct. 17 and will end Saturday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. Hours of operation are:

• Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
• Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

There are five locations open for Early Voting for this election. The sites include:

• Rowan County Board of Elections, 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd., W., Salisbury
• Rowan Public Library- South Branch, 920 Kimball Rd, China Grove
• Rockwell American Legion Building, 8580 US Hwy 52, Rockwell
• Cleveland Town Hall, 302 E. Main St., Cleveland
• Spencer Municipal Building, 460 S. Salisbury Ave., Spencer 

If you have any questions or conerns about voting, call the Rowan County Board of Elections Office at 704-216-8140. 

Sharon Main is the Rowan County elections director.