When and where in Wake County to vote early in the 2020 primary
Early voting for the 2020 primary begins this week in Wake County.
Candidates on the local, state and federal level are seeking their party’s nomination to appear on the November ballot. More than 55,000 people voted in the March primary in 2016 — the last presidential election.
Here’s what you need to know about voting early in Wake County.
When is the primary?
The primary is March 3, and the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to- 7:30 p.m. Voters can visit www.wakegov.com/elections or vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/ to find their polling precinct.
When and where can I vote early in Wake County?
There are a dozen early voting sites, but the hours are different for one of the locations. Voters may cast ballots at any early voting location. Here are the 11 early voting locations with the same hours.
- Avery Street Park and Recreation Center, 125 Avery St., Garner
- Cary Senior Center, 120 Maury Odell Place, Cary
- Falcon Park Hut, 105 Falcon Drive, Fuquay-Varina
- Herbert C. Young Community Center, 101 Wilkinson Ave., Cary
- Knightdale Recreation Center, 101 Lawson Ridge Road, Knightdale
- Millbrook Exchange Community Center, 1905 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh
- NCSU Talley Student Center, 2610 Cates Ave., Raleigh
- Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest
- Optimist Park Community Center, 5900 Whitier Drive, Raleigh
- Roberts Park Community Center, 1300 E. Martin St., Raleigh
- W.E. Hunt Recreation Center, 301 Stinson Ave., Holly Springs
A resident can vote early at these spots at the following times:
- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 - Friday, Feb. 14
- 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday. Feb. 15
- 1 - 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16
- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 - Friday, Feb. 21
- 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday. Feb. 22
- 1 - 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23
- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 - Friday, Feb. 28
- 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29
The 12th early voting site is the Wake County Office Building, at 337 S. Salisbury St. in downtown Raleigh. Early voting hours are mostly during office hours except for the last Saturday of the month. A resident can vote early at this location at the following times:
- 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 - Friday, Feb. 14
- 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 - Friday, Feb. 21
- 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 - Friday, Feb. 28
- 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29
What if I live outside Wake County?
Early voting locations and time are different in each county. You can contact your local board of elections office or visit the N.C. Board of Elections website, www.ncsbe.gov, to find your area’s locations.
Who are the local Wake County candidates?
There are three Democratic primaries in the local Board of County Commissioners and Register of Deeds races.
- Board of County Commissioners District 1: Incumbent Sig Hutchinson against challenger Jeremiah Pierce
- Board of County Commissioners District 3: Maria Cervania against Audra Killingsworth
- Register of Deeds: Tammy Brunner against William “Bill” Madden.
Who are the state Wake County candidates?
There are five North Carolina senate districts, but only one — the open District 18 — has primaries.
Angela Bridgman and Sarah Crawford will compete in the Democratic primary and Scott McKaig and Larry Norman will compete in the Republican primary. The winner of those two primaries will face Libertarian candidate Jason Loeback in November.
There are 11 N.C. House of Representative districts, and five have primaries. Here are those races:
- Rosa Gill and Antoine Marshall in the Democratic primary for District 33
- Michael Nelson and Alma Peters in the Republican primary for District 35
- Kim Coley and Gil Pagan in the Republican primary for District 36
- Erin Pare, Jeff Moore and Anna Powell in the Republican primary for District 37
- Quanta Monique Edwards and Abe Jones in the Democratic primary for District 38
Voters will also have to decide between state-wide and federal candidates in several political parities.
How can I find my sample ballot?
Visit www.wakegov.com/elections or vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/ to find your sample ballot.
Can I vote in any primary?
If you are registered to a political party, you can only vote in that party’s primary. For example, Libertarians can’t vote in the Republican primary. But unaffiliated voters may choose to vote in the Republican, Democratic or Libertarian primary or can choose an unaffiliated ballot. (No partisan races appear on the unaffiliated ballot.) The Constitution and Green party primaries are closed, meaning voters must be registered with that political party to cast a ballot in those primaries.
Can I register to vote during early voting?
Yes, voters may register to vote or update their registration during early voting. If you are registering to vote, you must bring a driver’s license, a photo ID from a government agency or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document.
Do I need a photo ID to vote?
No, you do not need a photo ID to vote in the March primary. On Dec. 31, 2019, a federal district court blocked the state’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. That won’t change until a new order from the court.
When is the general election?
The general election is Nov. 3, 2020.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story gave an incorrect address for the Roberts Park Community Center. The portion about unaffiliated people voting in partisan parties was clarified.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 4:56 PM with the headline "When and where in Wake County to vote early in the 2020 primary."
