Press release from Buncombe County Government:
More than 140,000 Buncombe County residents have cast their ballots through early voting and absentee by-mail, which surpasses the total number of votes cast in the 2016 General Election. According to Buncombe County Director of Election ServicesCorinne Duncan, thousands more are expected to vote at 80 locations across the county on Nov. 3.
On Election Day, 600 poll workers will operate 80 voting locations across Buncombe County from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Any person in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. All 80 locations will have curbside voting for those who have special needs. Voters are encouraged to bring a sample ballot with them, which can be accessed atwww.buncombecounty.org/vote. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all poll workers will wear PPE and sanitize voting stations between voters. Masks are encouraged for all voters and will be provided if needed.
“Our poll workers have worked incredibly hard to prepare by learning the process, technology, and laws of elections while also helping keep voters safe during a pandemic,” said Duncan. “Election Day brings neighbors together around an important right. If early voting is any indication, Election Day will be civil, and festive.”
Unlike during early voting, same-day registration is not available, and voters must go to their assigned location in order to vote their complete ballot with local races. If voters go to the wrong location, they will receive a provisional ballot that may not include all local races. To find your polling location, go towww.buncombecounty.org/vote.
Absentee ballots cannot be accepted at any polling location. Absentee ballots can only be returned to the Board of Elections office at 77 McDowell St. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. They do not have the same hours as polling locations. For those who choose to mail their absentee ballots, they must be postmarked by Nov. 3, and received within 10 days, although that is under litigation and could change with a court ruling.
Starting at 2 p.m. on Election Day, the Buncombe County Board of Elections will begin pre-processing all early voting and all absentee ballots received through Monday, and those results will be released at 7:30 p.m. After those, the Board of Elections waits for precincts to bring in results from the polling locations. Because anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. is allowed to vote, those votes will need to be processed before that site can submit results. With high turnout anticipated, Election Services staff expects that results will still be coming in as late as 10 p.m. All results will be posted on the State Board of Elections’ website at www.ncsbe.gov.
Election night results are unofficial. Following Election Day, absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 3, will be counted. If numbers are similar to 2016, approximately 1,000 provisional ballots also will be researched. Audits at the state and local levels as well as hand-counted checks are also completed during this time. On Nov. 13, the Board of Elections will finalize the results for Buncombe County. The State Board will meet on Nov. 24 to certify the election.
To download sample ballots, find polling locations, and more, go towww.buncombecounty.org/vote.
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