Absentee Voting
(Click the red font to link to a resource.) ​
​
Completing and Submitting the Absentee Ballot Request
  • North Carolina does not require a reason or excuse for voting by mail.

  • Absentee ballots can now be requested online using the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Portal. Rrequests can be made by the voter, his/her near relative, or legal guardian.  A near relative ​is the voter’s spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent or stepchild.

  • Voters or their near relative or legal guardian can also complete and sign a paper NC Absentee Ballot Request Form which must be received by the Chatham County Board of Elections by 5PM, October 27, 2020, but it's advisable to submit it as soon as possible. 

  • Requesting an absentee ballot does not require a witness or a photo ID.

  • No person other than the voter or their near relative /legal guardian, or a MAT, may possess or return a completed absentee request form.

 Completing the Absentee Ballot
  • Requested Absentee Ballots will be mailed out beginning Friday, Sept. 4,  If you have requested but not received your absentee ballot by Sept. 21, call the Chatham Co. Board of Elections to inquire (919-545-8500).

  • One adult witness (family member, neighbor, friend, etc.) should observe you marking your absentee ballot but does not have to see who you voted for.  The witness and voter then complete the required information and signatures on the envelope.  The voter and witness should carefully follow the instructions on the return envelope. 
  1. Seal the ballot in the return envelope provided,
  2. Complete and sign the Absentee Application and Certificate on the return envelope, and
  3. Have the witness complete and sign the space designated as Witness's Certification

  • To see a diagram of the Absentee Ballot envelope, click Here.
 
Submitting the Absentee Ballot
  • The voter or voter’s near relative (see above definition) or legal guardian must return the voter’s ballot in the official  envelope, sealed and containing the appropriate signatures and other required information. There are several options for returning the voted absentee ballot:
  1. Mail it using a 55 cent stamp with the provided envelope postmarked by 5PM on Election Day, November 3, 2020 to Chatham Co. Board of Elections office (984 Thompson St., Suite D, Pittsboro, NC 27312).
  2. Deliver it in-person to any open Early Voting location.
  3. Deliver it in-person by 5PM on Election Day, November 3, 2020 to the Chatham Co. Board of Elections office (984 Thompson St., Suite D, Pittsboro, NC 27312)

  • All voters are encouraged to submit their absentee ballots as soon as possible.

  • Friends and neighbors cannot legally deliver voted ballots.  Whoever returns the sealed ballot envelope in-person must sign a official log at the location.

  • The Chatham Co. Board of Elections is open weekdays from 8AM to 5PM for in-person delivery of a voted absentee ballot.

  • If you have an absentee ballot that has not been submitted and decide to vote in person, just discard the absentee ballot. The absentee ballot cannot be used for in-person voting. 

Tracking Your Ballot
  • Voters can sign up for North Carolina's BallotTrax system to be notified of the following steps: 1) when the County Board of Elections mails your ballot; 2) when the US Postal Service receives your voted ballot; 3) when the County Board of Elections receives your voted ballot; and 4) when your envelope has been checked and accepted as having the necessary voter and witness information. If there is a problem with information on the envelope, the County Board of Elections will contact you about how to correct it.

  • After that, the envelope is opened at a public (virtual) Board of Elections "absentee meeting" and the ballot is run through the tabulator, just like a ballot at in-person voting.  To be notified of Board of Elections meetings, click Here and select Board of Elections in the 3rd column.
Page Updated: 9/20/2020