FAQ | Watauga County Votin

Hurricane Helene displaced me, what do I do about voting?

If you have been displaced and are temporarily living out of the county and you cannot vote in person in Watauga County during the early voting period (or on Election Day) request a mail-in ballot. You need to act fast so that you have ample time to receive and return it by the receipt deadline (Election Day, Nov. 5)
If you are displaced, you can request an absentee ballot to be delivered to your new location - anywhere you are able to reliably get mail delivered.
Request an absentee ballot online at the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal.
If you have already requested an absentee ballot and need it to be sent to a new location, contact your county board of elections to spoil your current ballot and reissue a ballot to your new location.
Call the Watauga County Board of Elections Office at (828) 265-8061 or send an email to matthew.snyder@watgov.org

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, is the deadline for advance registration or to change your registration to a new location
Don’t worry - if you miss this deadline you can register and vote on the same day during NC’s Early Voting Period

Any issue with your registration (e.g., you need to update your address due to moving within Watauga County since last registering) can be addressed during the early voting period
You check the Voter Search tool (click here) and don’t find your registration - you can complete your registration and vote (same-day registration) during the early voting period.

Any issue with your registration (e.g., you need to update your address due to moving within Watauga County since last registering) can be addressed during the early voting period
You check the Voter Search tool (click here) and don’t find your registration - you can complete your registration and vote (same-day registration) during the early voting period.
Note - you will need an acceptable form of documentation of your current address. ASU students can make sure the local address the University has on file is updated (Web Self-Service portal)

Wherever you reside in the County, you are able to vote at any of the Early Voting Sites, including ASU’s Student Union.
Don’t wait to vote until Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) as you have less flexibility and may only be able to vote on all eligible contests (based on residency, election district assignments) by voting at your assigned Election Day voting location

If you lost your photo ID due to Helene, you have options:
Fill out a Photo ID Exception Form at your voting site or send the form back with your absentee ballot. (A blank Exception Form will arrive with your absentee packet.) Check the box for “Exception 3: Victim of a Natural Disaster.” Make sure to sign the form.
Go to your county board of elections office. If you are a registered voter, they can take your photo and print an acceptable ID on the spot. For details, go to Get a Free Voter Photo ID.
Get a free ID from an NCDMV office in your area. For details, see State IDs | NCDMV.
For details about North Carolina’s photo ID requirement, including a list of all acceptable IDs, go to BringItNC.gov.