Options for Casting Your Ballot

Who Can Vote in this Election

All registered Watauga County voters. This includes students living in dorms on ASU’s campus or in off campus housing. If you are living in Watauga County and are not registered to vote, you can register and vote on the same day during the early voting period.

You will need to present an ID to vote. IDs acceptable for voting purposes include unexpired NC drivers licenses, passports, and ASU Student IDs. You can also get a voter ID free of charge at the the local Board of Elections office at the Courthouse on King Street in Boone. ASU students can get a free ID card for voting purposes at the Card Office in the Student Union.

If you do not have an ID when you go to vote, you can still have your vote counted by signing a “Voter ID Exception Form” at the polls to explain why you are unable to show ID, or by voting a provisional ballot and returning to the Watauga County Board of Elections on King Street in the Courthouse to present your ID by 5 p.m. on November 5th.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The address on your NC driver’s license does not have to match your voter registration record. It is only used to see if the picture on your ID reasonably resembles you and if the name on your ID is the same as or similar to the name on your registration. Go HERE for a full list of acceptable Voter IDs.

Option #1: Vote Before Election Day (“early vote”)

PLEASE NOTE: Hours for early voting have changed. The local Board of Elections cut the total number of customary early voting hours by 18 hours at each site. This especially hampers voters at the County’s top two early voting sites: the downtown Admin Building and ASU. (Shame on them!) They made this decision one week before the start of early voting. (Double shame on them!)

Early voting begins Thursday, October 17th and runs through Saturday, November 2nd at all early voting sites. Early voting will be open at all sites the following days and times:

Weekdays October 17 – November 1: 9AM to 5PM

Saturday, October 19th and October 26: 9AM-5PM

Sunday, October 20th and October 27th: 1PM-5PM

Saturday, November 2nd: 8AM-3PM

IMPORTANT NOTE: I STRONGLY recommend voting early. This way, if there is a problem with your voter registration (for instance a change in address), you can fix that problem and vote on the same day. You cannot fix voter registration problems on Election Day.

All registered and non-registered Watauga County residents (ASU students who live in dorms are Watauga residents) can vote during the early voting period. Voters may choose to cast a ballot during the early voting period at any early voting location they choose.

Please consider casting your early ballot at the ASU Student Union early voting site so we can ensure this site for future elections. Parking for at the Student Union is free for all voters.

NOTE: If you are a registered voter who has changed addresses since the last election or since you registered to vote, you should vote during the early voting period in order to update your address and cast your ballot at the same time.

EARLY VOTING SITES:

Watauga County residents may use any early voting site they choose. Early voting begins October 17th and ends November 2nd. All locations are open for voting from 8AM-7:30 pm on weekdays and from 8AM-3PM on Saturday, November 2nd. (All locations offer free parking for voters.)

The ASU Student Union “Blue Ridge Ballroom (free parking)
The downtown Watauga County Administration Building (beside the Courthouse)
Deep Gap Fire Department
The Blowing Rock American Legion Building
Western Watauga Community Center
Meat Camp Fire Department

HOW TO REGISTER & VOTE ON THE SAME DAY DURING THE EARLY VOING PERIOD:

You CAN register to vote and vote on the same day during the early voting period. You CANNOT register and vote on Election Day itself, November 5th.

Same day registrants must prove their residence by presenting any of the following documents showing their current name and current address (NOTE: Current address means the document is no more than three months old): (1) NC Driver’s license (if the address on the license is where you currently live); or (2) A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document if it has your name and Watauga County address; or (3) A student transcript, tuition statement, invoice, or any receipt issued by the college or university (ASU has sent all ASU dorm students a copy of the document they need to prove residency for voting via email); or (4) Documents issued by a temporary or transitional housing facility.

ASU Students living in dorms wishing to register and vote on the same day can show their ASU Student ID and any document from ASU that has your name and on-campus housing address. This information can be presented when you go to vote in hard copy OR from your cell phone.

Option #2: Request that an Absentee Ballot be Mailed to You

In light of Hurricane Helene, some dates have been extended for voting by mail. Voters are now able to request and receive a ballot in person until November 4 at the local Board of Elections between 8AM and 5PM. Voters may also drop off ballots at any county Board of Elections office IN THE STATE in person.

Note two very important changes for this election: (1) Just because your mailed ballot is postmarked before the November 5th election deadline doesn’t mean it automatically counts. Any mailed ballots received by the local Board of Elections after 7:30pm on Election Day won’t be counted no matter what date they were mailed (postmarked). (2) You will need to include a copy of your photo ID.

You must be a registered voter to request a ballot by mail. Registered Watauga County voters may request a ballot be mailed to them through through the internet. Go HERE

Alternatively you can go HERE: print out and fill out the Absentee Ballot Request form. You can then either deliver the request in person to the Watauga County Board of Elections (in the downtown Courthouse) OR mail it to: Watauga County Board of Elections • PO Box 528 • Boone, NC 28607

Once you receive your absentee ballot, you will need one notary public or two witnesses to be in your presence when you mark your absentee ballot. They should only observe you marking your ballot, not how you vote. Your witness does not have to be a registered voter. Witnesses must be at least 18 years of age and can be family members. Witnesses do not have to be residents of Watauga County. Candidates for the election CANNOT be a witness to your Ballot.

If you are unable to provide a copy of a photo ID, complete the Photo ID Exception form (it will be a yellow form included in your ballot package). Return it with your ballot.

You can drop off your marked ballot in person at any early voting site or on Election Day (you will need to go inside) or at the Board of Elections office (just inside the Courthouse). Or you can return the ballot by mail to Watauga County Board of Elections • PO Box 528 • Boone, NC 28607. It will cost you either three forever stamps or $1.77 cents to mail your ballot. The drop-dead deadline for returning your mail in ballot is 7:30PM on November 5th.

You can also track the progress of your mail in ballot online HERE.

Option #3: Vote on Election Day, November 5th

You must be a registered Watauga County voter to vote a ballot on election day. You cannot register to vote and vote on election day. Polls are open on Election Day from 6:30AM-7:30PM.

You can vote “out of your designated precinct” on election day if you are a registered voter, but it’s more complicated this year, and you risk being given a ballot without your candidate choice for the Board of Commissioners….

Late last year, the NC State Legislature gerrymandered the Watauga County Commissioner districts. The result is that the County is now split into 5 separate districts for voting purposes, and some of those district precincts are split into 2 or 3 different districts.

If you vote out of your assigned precinct on election day, the Watauga County Board of Elections voted against providing some voters with a complete ballot (a ballot that includes your commissioner choices) if you vote out of your precinct on Election Day. Complete ballots (including your commissioner races) will be available to you at any early voting site you choose before election day.

Don’t blame me. I don’t make the rules. All the more reason to vote during the early voting period, where all ballot styles are made available.

If your assigned precinct is Boone 1, or Boone 2, or Boone 3, or New River 1, or New River 3, you will get your complete ballot on election day by either regular or provisional ballots if you vote at any county precinct location. That’s because you don’t get to vote for your candidate choice to serve on the Board of Commissioners this year at all.

Voters in one of the above precincts can still go to any Election Day precinct (The ASU Student Union for example) on election day and vote a complete provisional ballot (be sure to ask for it) even if your designated election day precinct is located elsewhere. As long as you are verified as a registered voter living within Watauga County, your provisional ballot WILL count.

But if you live in any other precinct, you can only be assured of getting a ballot that gives you the opportunity to vote for who you want to represent you on the Board of Commissioners if you vote in your assigned precinct on Election Day.

CLICK HERE FIND YOUR ASSIGNED ELECTION DAY PRECINCT

Election Day Polling Locations:

If you do not know the location of your “assigned” precinct, call the Watauga County Board of Elections at 828.265.8061.

ELECTION DAY PRECINCT LOCATIONS

Bald Mountain: Todd Fire Department
Beaver Dam: Beaver Dam Fire Department
Beech Mountain: Buckeye Recreation Center
Blowing Rock: American Legion Building
Blue Ridge: Laurel Fork Baptist Church
Boone 1: Watauga County Administration Building (beside the Courthouse)
Boone 2: ASU Student Union, Blue Ridge Ballroom
Boone 3: Agricultural Conference Center (off Poplar Grove Road)
Brushy Fork: Caldwell Community College Building #460
Cove Creek: Zionville Fire Station 2
Elk: Stewart Simmons Fire Department
Laurel Creek: Cove Creek Fire Department
Meat Camp: Meat Camp Fire Department
New River 1: Boone Town Council Chambers (Blowing Rock Road)
New River 2: Three Forks Baptist Association
New River 3: National Guard Armory (off State Farm Road)
North Fork: Edgar Eller’s Garage
Shawneehaw: Matney Community Center
Stony Fork: Deep Gap Fire Department
Watauga: Foscoe Christian Church