Information to know as voter registration deadline approaches

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) – With Election Day quickly approaching there are important dates the board of elections says voters should keep in mind for those who plan to vote.

Voters have until October 14 to register to vote, and November 1 to request an absentee ballot to be mailed out to your home.

According to Brunswick County Board of Elections Director Sara LaVere, there is a lot to know when it comes to elections.

“If you’re thinking about getting registered before the registration deadline you should think about it now,” she said.

This is what Jeff Stein was trying to do when he went online, printed out the registration form, and headed to the registrar’s office since it’s right beside his place of employment.

” I went to submit my form of registration form there, they said they don’t do voter registration forms there,” he said.

However, that office doesn’t offer that service, so he went to the Division of Motor Vehicles.

“They said that they only do voter registration when you get your driver’s license,” said Stein.

Those who haven’t registered to vote have options, voters can stop by several government agencies, such as Social Services and the Employment Security Commission, fill out a voter registration form, and the agency responsible will get it to the board of elections, according to LaVere.

Another option is to go to the DMV but that process is a little different, which is why Stein had issues, his license was issued by the State of Washington.

“The only option for online registration in North Carolina is through the DMV,” said LaVere. “So only DMV customers, which means someone that has a North Carolina driver’s license or North Carolina identification card can do a registration through the DMV system because essentially we’re using their system to verify identity.”

LaVere said there are still a few weeks left to register.

“We’re here at the tail of September,” she said. “You can print one from home right from our website, you can also call our office, and we can mail you a voter registration form that you can return to us.”

For those who miss the October 14 deadline – same-day registration is available at any one-stop voting site.

LaVere recommends voters look up their voter records, most are registered and don’t know it.

LaVere said they are the authority when it comes to elections and urges anyone with questions to contact their local board of elections office directly.

More information can be found here.