Early voting for the Orange County primary election opens this Saturday for registered Democrat, Libertarian and Unaffiliated voters. Early voting will last until Saturday, May 5, and the regular Primary Election Day is May 8.
Residents that are registered with the Republican Party or the Green Party cannot vote in the Orange County primary election because the open positions have either only one Republican candidate running uncontested or none.
The primary election lets voters choose between multiple candidates in one party. The chosen candidate will then represent the party in the general election in November.
The five early voting sites are the Hillsborough Board of Elections, the Carrboro Town Hall, the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, Efland Ruritan Club Building and the Seymour Senior Center in Chapel Hill. Residents can vote at any of the five early voting sites, regardless of their assigned precinct.
Same-day registration will be available at all five early-voting sites. Residents who have not registered to vote can bring a valid form of ID to the site and complete the registration process before voting.
Gerry Cohen, former special counsel of the N.C. General Assembly, said anyone who has registered to vote in Orange County in the past can still vote in this election.
“If you’re a graduating senior and registered last year, you can still vote in early voting this year,” Cohen said. “A lot of people don’t know that registration carries over to the next election until you move.”
For residents who have moved, they can use early voting as a time to update their address as well, Cohen said.
“Early Voting is a good opportunity to update your address before the November election and get your election records in order,” Cohen said.
