CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In-person early voting for the November 2023 municipal elections begins Thursday, Oct. 19.
Where to vote early
There are 19 early voting sites in Mecklenburg County. Here is the information about when and where people can vote early in Mecklenburg County.
Early voting locations and schedules can be found at the State Board of Elections’ Early Voting Site Search and at One-Stop Voting Sites for the Nov. 7 Election (PDF).
The elections board said, statewide, 135 early voting sites will be open for the November elections.
Checking out your ballot
The state board’s Voter Search tool can help potential voters figure out if they are eligible to vote early this year and see what is on their ballot.
“The candidates elected in November will make important decisions for local communities, such as setting tax rates, approving new developments, deciding how many police officers and firefighters to hire, and choosing where to build parks and sidewalks,” Karen Brinson Bell, State Board executive director and the state’s chief elections official said in a statement.
The ballot in Mecklenburg County includes Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board seats and a multi-billion dollar school bond.
Charlotte voters will be asked to vote on a $2.5 billion bond referendum for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district. If this referendum passes, the money will go towards funding 30 different CMS projects.
As WCNC Charlotte previously reported, this bond referendum marks the largest ask by a school district in North Carolina history. if the bond is approved there would be a one cent tax increase.
"This is something we have long been waiting for here in Charlotte," Marcia Kirkpatrick, an early voter, said. "There are schools that need to be rebuilt, renovations and just be able to move forward."
Charlotte voters will decide who the next mayor and city council members will be.
Incumbent mayor Vi Lyles will face Republican Misun Kim and Libertarian Rob Yates on Nov. 7.
Residents of Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, and Mint Hill can also choose their next Mayors and local board members.
“If history is a guide, some municipal contests will be very, very close, and ties are not unheard of, so every vote matters,” Bell added.
All voters will be asked to show a photo ID.
Voters who mail in their ballots will need to include a photocopy of an acceptable ID.
A driver's license is the standard, but many other types of IDs will be accepted, the elections board said.
A list of acceptable forms of ID is available on the State Board of Elections’ Voter ID webpage, NCSBE.gov/voterID.
Any voter who does not have an acceptable form of ID can still get one for free from their county board of elections between now and the end of the early voting period.
Early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 4. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
To get an ID from the elections board, voters need to have their photo taken and provide their name, date of birth and last four digits of their Social Security number.
The Board of Elections said voters who do not have an ID "should not let this deter them from casting their ballot."
Voters without one can still vote a provisional ballot and fill out an exception form explaining why they could not show an ID.
"My board will take a look at that and make sure it is complete, make sure you signed it," Michael Dickerson, director of elections for Mecklenburg County, said. "If there is no reason to believe it is false they have to accept it. And it has to be a unanimous decision to deny it."
The photo ID requirement also goes for those voting by mail.
“Keep in mind absentee by mail also requires a copy of your photo ID for us to go ahead and process," Dickerson said. "Same way as if you don’t have a copy of your photo ID you can complete the reasonable impediment process and we will count your ballot at that point and time.”
More information about the photo ID requirement is available at NCSBE.gov/voterID.
Same-Day Registration
During the early voting period, people who are not registered to vote can register at any early voting site and vote immediately at that site. If needed, people can also update their name or address during same-day registration.
The requirement for same-day voter registration is proof of residence displaying a voter's current address.
It is important to note that most voters cannot register on election day. The exceptions are newly naturalized citizens and people who have had their rights restored after serving a felony sentence.
Election season in full swing
More than 776,000 people are registered to vote in Mecklenburg county. Historically, elections where a presidential race isn’t on the ballot see lower turnout, but election officials are hoping to get more people to the polls.
“History usually tells us anywhere between 16… 17% to 20% turnout so that's what we are hoping for,” said Dickerson.
Voters say they have several issues they are passionate about and that’s why it is important for them to make their voice count locally.
"Here in Charlotte, affordable housing has become a big issue,” William Mitchell, a University City resident, said. “You see that when developers are involved here… housing prices are just going up and it’s become an unlivable situation for a lot of people.”
“Housing, public safety and also accountability for public safety officials,” Ryan Golden, a north Charlotte resident, said. “We have to make sure that people feel safe walking around crime-wise but also make sure we feel safe with public officials and public safety officials.”
It’s a civic duty, voters say they want every citizen to take advantage of. Mitchell voted early and his advice to folks hitting the polls is to do your homework and be informed.
"A lot of the candidates have their own website set up," Mitchell said. "Go there and do your research so you can understand and know exactly who you are voting for. That way you can feel good about your vote."
"I can't tell you how many local elections are decided by fewer than a hundred votes," Golden said. "You should really come out and make your voice heard. It can have a huge impact on any locality."
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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