Absentee Voting

Absentee Voting

Any registered voter in Brunswick County may vote by absentee ballot.  There are three steps to voting by absentee ballot:

1. Request your ballot
2. Vote your ballot
3. Return your ballot

 

REQUEST YOUR BALLOT.

There are two ways to request your ballot:

• Complete and sign a State Absentee Request Form.  Instructions are included with the form. Note: Only the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, or a member of a multipartisan assistance team may request a ballot for that voter.
• Online through the Absentee Ballot Request Portal.

SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST.  If you are not using the online portal, submit your State Absentee Request Form by email, fax, mail, or in person.  The deadline to submit a request for the November 3, 2020 general election is 5 pm Tuesday, October 27.

Mailing Address (for USPS):  Brunswick County Board of Elections, PO Box 2, Bolivia, NC, 28422

Delivery Address (for hand delivery and other delivery services such as FedEx and UPS):  75 Stamp Act Dr NE, Building H, Bolivia, NC, 28422

Email:  absentee@brunswickcountync.gov

Fax:  910.253.2618

Want to track your ballot through the mail? Sign up for BallotTrax, a free service where North Carolina voters can track the status of their absentee ballot.

The State Board of Elections strongly encourages voters to request a ballot as soon as possible to avoid problems due to postal delays and to allow for time to correct any issues with your request.

 

VOTE YOUR BALLOT

COMPLETE YOUR BALLOT.  Complete your absentee ballot in the presence of one witness and insert the ballot into the return envelope.

A witness should not observe so closely that they are able to see what votes the voter marked. What is required is that the witness sees that the voter is voting the ballot.

COMPLETE AND SIGN THE ABSENTEE BALLOT RETURN ENVELOPE.  Sign the outside of the ballot return envelope. Have your witness complete and sign the witness certification.  Be sure the witness provides their printed name, complete address, and signature.  If you receive assistance marking or mailing the ballot, the assistant must fill out the voter assistant certification.

 

RETURN YOUR BALLOT

RETURN YOUR BALLOT TO YOUR COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS.  Only the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian may possess the absentee ballot to return it to the board of elections.

In 2020, there are a few ways to return your absentee ballot:

1. By mail (return envelope is provided with ballot), postmarked on or before Election Day, and received by 5 pm by Thursday, Nov. 12.
2. By commercial courier service (DHL, FedEx, or UPS) – must be delivered to our physical address.
3. In person at your county board of elections office (Building H) by 5 pm Election Day (November 3).
4. In person at an open early voting site from October 15-31.

Track Your Absentee Ballot

Voters who vote by mail may use BallotTrax to track the status of their ballot from when it is mailed to when it is received by the county board of elections.

BallotTrax allows NC voters with valid absentee ballot requests to create an account. Once the account is created, voters will be able to:

• Log in to view the status of their absentee by-mail request and ballot. This includes confirmation that the county board of elections has received the request, that the ballot has been mailed to the voter and that the completed ballot has been received by the county board of elections.
• Learn if their ballot cannot be accepted because of issues such as a missing signature or witness information. If this occurs, the county board of elections will provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue.
• Sign up for email, text, and/or voice alerts for status updates.

Click here for more information on creating an account in BallotTrax.

Voters will see one of several statuses, including Requested, when an absentee request form is received by the County Board of Election, and Accepted, when the returned ballot is accepted by the county board of elections. Accepted generally means the county board of elections has received the ballot, the return envelope has no apparent issues, and the ballot will be counted. If the county board of elections subsequently finds an issue (the envelope is opened and there is no ballot inside, for example) then that status will change and the voter will be contacted.

Important Dates

September 4, 2020 – Absentee ballots begin being mailed

October 27, 2020 – Last day to request absentee ballots

November 3, 2020 5 pm – Hand delivered absentee ballots due at the Board of Elections Office (Building H)

November 12, 2020 – Mailed absentee ballots due at the Board of Elections office (must be postmarked on or before election day, November 3)

Military and Overseas Voters

There are certain processes and opportunities available to uniformed (military) and U.S. citizens residing overseas (whether temporarily or indefinitely) which facilitate their ability to more quickly request, receive, and return absentee ballots. If you, or someone you know, would qualify as a uniformed or overseas voter and you would like to vote, it is to your advantage to look into these opportunities.

UOCAVA Election Notice

Please visit either of the following websites:

1. NCSBOE Military and Overseas Voting
2. The Overseas Vote Foundation
3. The Federal Voting Assistance Program
   1. FVAP North Carolina Guide

Absentee Voting Frequently Asked Questions

• To help voters understand the absentee voting process, the State Board of Elections has released Absentee Voting Frequently Asked Questions.
• We have posted many FAQs on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
• Additionally, we will be releasing videos to explain certain processes and those will be posted here as they are released.