In-person early voting for the November 3 general election has commenced in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties. Voters in these High Country areas can cast their ballots at designated early voting sites from Thursday, October 15, through Saturday, October 31.
Watauga County provides six early voting locations, offering flexibility for residents, who may utilize any of these sites. The locations include the Watauga County Administration Building, situated at 814 West King Street in Boone; the Appalachian State University Student Union, found at 263 Locust Street with parking conveniently accessible on Howard Street; the Blowing Rock American Legion Building, located at 333 Wallingford Street; the Deep Gap Fire Department, at 6583 Old US 421 South; the Meat Camp Fire Department, positioned at 4797 NC Highway 194 North; and the Western Watauga Community Center, at 1081 Old US Highway 421 in Sugar Grove.
All six of Watauga County’s early voting sites adhere to the same schedule. They are open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the following weekdays: October 15-16, October 19-23, and October 26-30. On the final day of early voting, Saturday, October 31, all sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Voters should note that there is no weekend voting available before October 31 in Watauga County.
Ashe County offers one central early voting site for its residents: the Ashe County Agricultural Services Building, located at 134 Government Circle in Jefferson. This site operates with weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on October 15-16, October 19-23, and October 26-30. For weekend voting, the Ashe County site will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, October 17, October 24, and October 31.
In Avery County, the sole early voting site is the Avery County Pool, widely recognized as The Dive In, located at 220 Shady Street in Newland. Weekday hours for Avery County’s early voting are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on October 15-16, October 19-23, and October 26-30. It is important to note that Avery’s weekday hours conclude earlier than those in Watauga and Ashe counties. For Saturday voting, the Avery County site will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 31 only.
The deadline for voter registration for the November 3 general election passed on October 9. However, residents who are not yet registered still have an opportunity to participate by registering and voting on the same visit at any early voting site in their respective county. To do so, individuals must provide proof of residence. It is crucial for voters to understand that same-day registration will not be available on Election Day itself. The Avery County Board of Elections has specifically noted that residents who register during this one-stop voting period can only cast their ballot at an early voting site and will not be able to vote on Election Day.
For voters preferring to cast their ballot by mail, an absentee ballot request must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20. Once requested, these absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. If a voter has requested a mail ballot but has not yet returned it, they retain the option to vote in person at an early voting site or on Election Day at their assigned precinct.
North Carolina voters are asked to present a photo identification when voting. Should a voter not possess a photo ID, they are still able to vote by completing an ID exception form at the polling place.
On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, polls across the state will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters must report to their assigned precincts on Election Day, which may be different from the early voting sites. To assist voters, sample ballots are made available through the State Board of Elections voter search tool.
For any questions regarding the voting process or site specifics, residents may contact the Watauga County Board of Elections directly at 828-265-8061. Avery County residents with inquiries can reach the Avery County Board of Elections at 828-733-8282.
