Letter: A HOW-TO ON THE MAY 8 NC PRIMARY ELECTION

North Carolina has primary elections on May 8 (the last day of final exams), with early voting in Chapel Hill and Carrboro April 21-May 5 (starting the last week of classes). This is the first primary since 1958 with no statewide issues on the ballot. 

In 29 Chapel Hill and Carrboro precincts there are Democratic primaries for 4 th District US House, Orange County Commissioner at-large, Clerk of Court, and Sheriff. The Orange County Commissioner race is important not just for public school funding, but also on issues like transit and light rail. There is a Libertarian primary for 4 th District US House. 

Unaffiliated voters can vote in either the Democratic or Libertarian primary. Republican and Green Party registered voters in those precincts are not eligible to vote on May 8 as their parties are not holding primaries. The regular voter registration deadline for the primary is Friday, April 13, with same day registration available at early voting. 

If you are already registered in Orange County (such as for the 2014, 2016 or other elections) and still live in the county, you are still eligible, but you need to report any address change if you have moved. 

This can be done easiest by using the form on the back of your voter registration card and mailing it postmarked by April 13 to the Orange County Board of Elections, OR your address can be updated at early voting. 

If you live in Orange County but aren’t yet registered to vote, this can be done by printing the form at: http://cms3.revize.com/revize/orangecounty/departments/board_of_elections/NCVRRegF ormv102013engNEW.pdf and mailing it postmarked by April 13 to: Orange County Board of Elections, PO Box 220 Hillsborough NC 27278. There are often registration tables in The Pit. Copies of the registration form are also available at: 

 UNC Student Government, Carolina Student Union Room 3109 (completed Orange County forms hand-delivered to the front desk of the Student Government Suite here will be hand delivered to the Orange County Board of Elections.) 

 Davis Library, UNC-CH Campus 

 Chapel Hill Town Hall - 405 Martin Luther King Jr, Blvd, Chapel Hill 

 Chapel Hill Public Library - 100 Library Dr, Chapel Hill 

 Carrboro Town Hall - 301 W. Main St. Carrboro 

 Persons having business with the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles may register to vote at the DMV. 

If you want to vote by mail for the May 8 primary in the North Carolina county of your voter registration, the absentee form is available at: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Portals/0/Forms/NCAbsenteeBallotRequestForm.pdf 

You must print the form, then it can be mailed, FAXed, or scanned and emailed to the board of election of the county of your voter registration. 

Contact info for county board of elections with snail-mail, FAX, and email addresses is at: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo/PrintableVersion/ 

YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION MUST REACH THE APPROPRIATE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS OFFICE BY TUESDAY, MAY 1. Waiting until May 1 to send an absentee application is cutting it close, I suggest sending it in by April 24. 

Orange County voters not wanting to vote on May 8 or early vote can vote by mail by following the above instructions. 

All 100 counties have early voting in one or more locations from Thursday April 19 through Saturday, May 5. 

In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, three locations are open Mondays through Saturdays from April 21 to May 5. 

In Chapel Hill the closest locations to campus are at Chapel of the Cross (next to Morehead Planetarium) and Carrboro Town Hall at 301 West Main Street. 

An early voting site list with hours for Orange County for all five sites is at: http://cms3.revize.com/revize/orangecounty/departments/board_of_elections/2018%20El ection/2018%20One%20Stop%20sites.pdf 

The Democratic primary sample ballot for Chapel Hill and Carrboro is here: http://cms3.revize.com/revize/orangecounty/departments/board_of_elections/2018%20El ection/ORANGE-20180508- Style001-DEM.pdf 

The Libertarian primary sample ballot is here: http://cms3.revize.com/revize/orangecounty/departments/board_of_elections/2018%20El ection/ORANGE-20180508- Style004-LIB.pdf

Gerry Cohen

Raleigh NC

UNC’72, former member, Chapel Hill Town Council