How to vote early, in person and who’s on your ballot in Durham County
Registered voters in Durham County have several ways to cast their ballots in this year’s elections.
Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15 and runs until Saturday, Oct. 31, at 14 locations. Voters can choose any one of the 14 sites during the early voting period.
The general election will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
To cast a ballot on Nov. 3, voters must go to the polling location for their address. To find out which of the county’s 57 polling locations for the general election is yours, search by registered voter name or by residential address on the State Board of Elections website at vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/
Durham County is taking precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, according to its COVID-19 response plan, including:
▪ daily cleaning with hypochlorous acid, an electrostatic sprayer, and disinfecting wipes before and after polls close
▪ hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes for voter use, and wipes for surface cleaning for poll workers
▪ plexiglass barriers between election officials and voters at each table
▪ a cleanliness coordinator at each site responsible for cleaning surfaces and equipment throughout the day
Election officials and workers are required to wear masks, and officials who aren’t behind plexiglass must wear face shields.
Voters are not required to wear masks, even though election officials are encouraging people to use them, The News & Observer has reported.
Where, how to vote early
Early voting runs daily Oct. 15 through Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday. There will be reduced hours Saturday, Oct. 31, with sites open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The website for Durham County Board of Elections includes a map showing average wait times for different early voting sites.
Voters can cast their ballots early at:
▪ North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road
▪ South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave.
▪ East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane
▪ Criminal Justice Resource Center, 326 E. Main St.
▪ Duke University Karsh Alumni Center, 2080 Duke University Road
▪ Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4907 Garrett Road
▪ NCCU Turner Law Building, 640 Nelson St.
▪ Durham Tech Main Campus - Newton Building, 1616 Cooper St.
▪ Durham County Main Library, 300 N Roxboro St.
▪ The River Church, 4900 Prospectus Drive
▪ Southern High School, 800 Clayton Road
▪ Greater Emmanuel Temple of Grace, 2722 E. Main St.
▪ Hope Valley Baptist Church, 6900 Garrett Road
▪ Mt. Sylvan United Methodist Church, 5731 N. Roxboro Road
Voters will not be required to show a photo I.D.
How to request an absentee ballot
To vote absentee, voters must request an absentee ballot by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot.
Requests can be made by filling out an absentee ballot request form, which can be done online.
You can return ballot request forms in person to the county’s election’s office at 201 N. Roxboro St., Durham, NC 27701. Mail them to Durham County Board of Elections, Attn: Absentee Ballots, PO Box 868, Durham, NC, 27702. Email forms to absentee@dconc.gov. Or, fax them to 919-560-0688.
How to cast an absentee ballot
Absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Election’s office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, unless the ballot is mailed and postmarked by Nov. 3 and arrives by mail no later than Friday, Nov. 6.
A witness must watch the voter fill out the absentee ballot, and both the voter and the witness must sign the completed ballot.
The absentee ballot return envelope can be delivered back to the Board of Elections office in person, by mail, or via commercial courier. A return envelope can also be delivered in person to any early voting site, but only by the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian.
You can check to make sure your absentee ballot was received by searching online through Ballottrax, which is operated by the N.C. State Board of Elections.
Who is on the ballot?
Use The News & Observer’s voter guide to create a sample ballot and learn more about the candidates in local, state and federal elections this year.
No Republican candidates filed for the Durham County commissioners race this year, so the five nominees on the ballot are running unopposed. Sharon Davis, the county’s current register of deeds, is also running for re-election unopposed.
The five candidates for the soil and water conservation board are filed as non-partisan.
Durham County Board of Commissioners (5 seats)
▪ Nida Allam (D)
▪ Nimasheena Burns (D)
▪ Heidi Carter (D)
▪ Brenda Howerton (D)
▪ Wendy Jacobs (D)
Durham County Register of Deeds
▪ Sharon A. Davis (D)
Durham Soil and Water Conservation District Board
▪ Anjali Boyd
▪ Jan Cromartie
▪ Patrick Poer
▪ Terence Priester
▪ Jillian Riley
Related stories:
▪ For information on early voting in Wake County, see story here (The News & Observer) or here (The Herald-Sun).
▪ For information on early voting in Orange County, see story here (The News & Observer) or here (The Herald-Sun).
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 12:16 PM with the headline "How to vote early, in person and who’s on your ballot in Durham County."