{"id":14408,"date":"2012-10-12T09:50:55","date_gmt":"2012-10-12T13:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raleighpublicrecord.org\/?p=14408"},"modified":"2013-02-11T20:45:57","modified_gmt":"2013-02-12T01:45:57","slug":"get-out-and-vote-a-how-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/2012-general-election-voter-guide\/2012\/10\/12\/get-out-and-vote-a-how-to\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Out and Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>Elections often produce a lot of voter questions, but this year, the Wake County Board of Elections has one answer: a new website.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2012 General Election Calendar<\/center><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Oct. 12<\/strong><\/td>\nLast day to register to vote or update
\nregistration information<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
mid-October<\/strong><\/td>\nEarly voting begins
\n<\/strong>View locations, dates, and times<\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct. 30<\/strong><\/td>\nLast day to submit requests for
\nabsentee by mail ballots<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov. 3<\/strong><\/td>\nEarly voting ends at 1 p.m.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov. 5<\/strong><\/td>\nDeadline for returning voted absentee
\nballots.
\nIf hand-delivered, ballots must be
\npostmarked by Nov. 6, and
\nreceived by Nov. 9.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov. 6<\/strong><\/td>\nElection Day
\nPolls are open 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe’ve just really found the benefit of putting everything on our website,\u201d said Gary Sims, deputy director of the Wake County Board of Elections.<\/p>\n

Sims said the revamped site at wakevotesearly.com answers questions about voting early and voting absentee by mail \u2014 the two voting issues he hears about most. The site lists all the early voting locations, times, maps and hours and offers step-by-step instructions for voting by mail.<\/p>\n

State and Congressional legislative districts have been redrawn since the last election, which puts some voters into new districts. To find out what district you live in, visit the State Board of Elections website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sims said this will be the biggest election the Wake Elections staff will manage in four years. In 2008, the last comparable election, more than 444,000 Wake County voters participated.<\/p>\n

Brent Laurentz, executive director of the NC Center for Voter Education, said he expects slightly higher turnout this year than in 2008.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile there may be some dip in enthusiasm for President Obama since his 2008 campaign, it seems like that will be counter-balanced by an increased enthusiasm among Republicans,\u201dhe said. \u201cOn top of that, both campaigns have been battling heavily in North Carolina and will put a great deal of resources toward ensuring their supporters turnout and vote.\u201d<\/p>\n

[media-credit name=”Courtesy Wake County Board of Elections” align=”aligncenter” width=”600″]\"\"<\/a>[\/media-credit]<\/p>\n

Typically, more voters participate in Presidential elections, but it’s the local offices \u2014 such as the state legislative offices up this year \u2014 that affect local voters, Laurentz said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do I need an ID to vote?<\/center><\/strong>
\nNo. Despite some discussion on this topic among state legislators, you do not need to provide your identification to vote.<\/div>\n

Whether they vote absentee or early or show up on Election Day, Laurentz hopes for high participation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese local leaders can have a substantial impact on things like schools, transportation and other quality of life issues that should be important to all voters,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I would encourage all voters to take every race on the ballot seriously by getting educated about the candidates and then voting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here’s the breakdown on voting this fall:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

HOW TO VOTE<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

How to Register<\/strong>
\nRegistration deadline for the Nov. 6 election: Oct. 12<\/p>\n

Requirements: Must be 18 years old and a resident of the state for at least 30 days before the election. <\/em><\/p>\n

Registration forms: Print from the Board of Elections web site (http:\/\/www.ncsbe.gov\/<\/a><\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

Or, voters can fill out paperwork at any of the following agencies:<\/p>\n