Register to VOTE

It's a election year! Who are you voting for to represent Ocracoke on the Hyde County Board of Commissioners? Just kidding. Only one guy is running: Randal Mathews. Go, Randal! 

As exciting as it is, the commissioners' race is not the only one to keep an eye on this fall.

The general election for POTUS (and More!) will be Tuesday, November 3, 2020. On Ocracoke, we vote at the Fire Department; polls are open 6:30am–7:30pm. 

The regular voter registration deadline is October 9, 2020. 

Not sure if you are already registered to vote? Use the Voter Lookup Tool to check your registration! (Hint: it's a great way to check on other people, too. You can look up anyone! It will tell you if they are registered, their party affiliation, and which elections they actually voted in. I highly recommend that you look up people early in a relationship. If they aren't registered, don't date them. Also, I check up on my kids. Santa will put them on the Naughty List if they skip voting.)

To register to vote you must be:

• A U.S. Citizen
• A Resident of North Carolina and this county for 30 days before the election
• At least 18 years of age on or before the next general election
• Not registered and not voting in any other county or state
• If convicted of a felony, your rights of citizenship must have been restored

There are so many ways to register! 

Hard copies of voter registration forms are available at the Ocracoke Library(temporary location: Deepwater Theater, 62 School Road; open M–F 1-5 and Sat. 9-1; the librarian will provide the stamp!) and all other NC public libraries. Hard copies can also be obtained from the Hyde County Elections Office in Swan Quarter during business hours (M W F 8am-5pm; the office is located at 1223 Main Street.) 

If you are a DMV customer with a N.C. driver’s license or DMV-issued ID, you may now register to vote or change certain parts of your registration online.  

Using this service existing DMV customers may register to vote, update their voter registration address, or update their party affiliation. They may not change their name. This is a standalone service that does not require the user to complete a DMV transaction (such as duplicate or license renewal) at the same time. There is no fee for voter registration services. Voter registration applications submitted fewer than 25 days before an election will not be processed until after the election. You may still register to vote in person using same-day registration in your county during the early voting period.

If you don't have a NC driver's license or DMV-issued ID, click here to fill out the online voter registration form.

One-Stop Early Voting/Same-Day Registration: Register and Vote at the Same Time!

One-stop absentee voting (commonly known as "early voting") allows any registered voter to cast an absentee ballot in person on select days prior to Election Day. Unlike on Election Day, when registered voters can only vote at their specific precinct, one-stop voting allows registered voters to vote at any one-stop absentee voting site in the county. One-stop sites will have all the ballot styles for a given election at each site.

To register and vote on the SAME DAY, you will need a proof of residence. Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility to vote and must provide proof of residence. A voter attests to their eligibility by completing a voter registration application and signing it under penalty of a Class I felony, and must present one of the following documents showing the voter’s current name and current address

• North Carolina driver’s license;
• Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo identification card is acceptable, as long as the card includes the registrant’s current name and address. Such cards may be expired, but the name and address must be current.
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s current name and address issued within 3 months of the date it is presented

One-Stop Early Voting days are October 15-31, 2020. We will announce Ocracoke's specific days when we know them. One-Stop Early Voting in Swan Quarter will be available each of those days; Ocracoke residents can vote in Swan Quarter. Stop by if you're passing through! 

Hey, don't forget there's a PANDEMIC! Maybe you don't want to go anywhere near any other people this year... in NC, we are ALL eligible for Absentee Mail-In Voting! Read all about it and request a ballot here. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday, October 27, 2020. 

We'll keep you posted about more information. You can also find all the above and much more at the NC State Board of Elections website. 

The Current will post sample ballots are soon as they are printed (no later than September 5th.)