How to Know Your Vote Counted in NC


 


NOTE: The State Board is reissuing this press release due to numerous questions from voters about how they can know their ballot was counted in the 2024 general election. Most questions are from voters who cast their ballot on Election Day. Please see the section in red below. Please note that it can take a couple of weeks before your county board of elections completes the process of assigning voter history to your record.

Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina elections officials are reminding voters about how they can be confident their vote was counted this election season.

Depending on which voting method you choose, there are different ways to determine that your ballot was received and counted by your county board of elections.

If you vote in person during the early voting period…

When you insert your ballot into a tabulator, your selections are recorded on a memory device in the tabulator. These results are counted and reported publicly after polls close on election night.

If you vote at an early voting site, you can find that your vote was recorded in the Voter Search database. Simply search for your record on the State Board’s Voter Search tool, and scroll down to the “Your Ballot: By Mail or Early Voting” section. If you voted during the early voting period, your “Voting Method” will be “EARLY VOTING,” your “Ballot Status” will show “VALID RETURN,” and your “Vote Status” will be “ACCEPTED.” This status is typically updated by the day after you cast your ballot at an early voting site.

The “Your Voter History” section of your voter record also shows when you have voted. But that section is updated after each election, after your county has gone through the process of assigning voter history to all voters’ records. This may take a couple of weeks or longer after the election.

If you vote in person on Election Day…

When you insert your ballot into a tabulator, your selections are recorded on a memory device in the tabulator. These results are counted and reported publicly on election night.

For further confirmation that your ballot was counted, use the Voter Search tool.

Your ballot status will show up in the “Your Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. The “Voted Method” will be “IN-PERSON ELECTION DAY.” This may take a couple of weeks or longer after the election.

Please be assured that your county board of elections will complete this process as promptly as possible amid the other post-election tasks that must be completed, including post-election audits and certification of the results.

If you vote absentee by mail (including military, overseas, and visually impaired voters who submit their ballot electronically)…

Once your ballot is received by your county board of elections, you can find that your vote counted in the “Your Ballot: By Mail or Early Voting” section of the Voter Search tool. The “Voting Method” will be “ABSENTEE BY MAIL,” the “Ballot Status” will show “VALID RETURN,” and the “Vote Status” will be “ACCEPTED” or “ACCEPTED – CURED.”

Your ballot status will also show up in the “Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer.

If you cast a provisional ballot…

You will be able to check the status of your ballot 10 days after the election through the Provisional Search tool. You must fill out all four fields on the form, including the PIN number given to you at the voting site when you voted provisionally.

What is voter history?

Voter history is a record that you voted in a particular election, not how you marked your ballot. Voter history includes the election date, the voting method, and your county. For primary elections, it also includes which political party’s primary you voted in (Republican, Democratic, nonpartisan, etc.). It will not show who you voted for. That is always confidential.

State elections officials urge voters to use the options above to ensure their ballot was counted. We also urge voters to be wary about what they read online and on social media about elections. If you have questions about the voting process, please use trusted sources of information, such as your county board of elections or the State Board of Elections.




Election Images1Cherokee County

Board of Elections

Members 

  • William Bateman, Chairman
  • Charles Hoesch, Board Member
  • Shelly Debty, Board Member
  • Sandy Solesbee, Board Member
  • Craig Allen, Secretary

The Board of Elections now consists of five members. Three Democrats and two republicans each elected to a two year term.

Objective

The goal of the Cherokee County Board of Elections is to provide lawful, efficient, and timely execution of all elections. Our objective is to strive toward a progressive election process that meets every measure of the law as well as the demands of the 21st Century. We aim to provide fair elections for the Federal Government, the State of North Carolina, and Cherokee County. For more information on local and State Elections please visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. http://www.ncsbe.gov/

The Board of Elections holds their regular monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of every month at 4:00. The location is 40 Peachtree St. Murphy, NC 28906. All meetings are open to the public. If you would like to be put on the agenda for a meeting please contact the Board of Elections office at 828-837-6670. 

NOTICE OF MEETING

 

The Cherokee County Board of Elections will hold a meeting at 9:00 am on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 40 Peachtree Street Murphy, NC to conduct a recount if a recount is requested by an eligible candidate under N.C.G.S. § 163-82.7(b) or (c). Only a contest eligible to be recounted under these provisions will be subject to the recount. Members of the public may attend the meeting, but space may be limited. If no such recount is requested, the meeting will be cancelled.

Mark Your Calendar

Monday November 11 - Veterans Day

Wednesday November 13 - Supplemental meeting at 5:00

Friday November 15 - County Canvass






8 Reminders About Voter Registration in NC


 


Raleigh, N.C. — Presidential election years, like 2024, are busy times for voter registrations in North Carolina. Many voter registration drives are being conducted across the state this year.

The State Board of Elections offers the following eight tips and reminders to voters and prospective voters during this time:

  1. Check your registration. The State Board encourages all voters to check their voter registration using the Voter Search tool. This will ensure that voters know if they need to make any updates to their registration in time to vote. For details about information available through the Voter Search tool, go to Your Voter Record. [Watch video: Check Your Voter Registration.] 
  2. Requirements for registering to vote. To be eligible to register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen; live in the county where you are registering for at least 30 days prior to Election Day; be at least 18 years old by the date of the general election; and not be serving a felony sentence, including any probation, post-release supervision, or parole. 
  3. Register to vote. Existing NCDMV customers who are eligible to vote can submit a voter registration application online through the NCDMV website. Eligible individuals also can fill out and print a paper application in English or Spanish and mail it or return it in person to their county board of elections. See How to Register. 
  4. Registration deadlines. The deadline to register to vote on Election Day in the 2024 general election is 5 p.m. Friday, October 11. If you miss that deadline, you may still register and vote or make changes to your registration during the early voting period at any early voting site in your county. The early voting period begins Thursday, October 17 and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, November 2. For sites and schedules by county, see Early Voting Site Search. 
  5. You do not need to re-register if you are currently registered to vote. If you are already registered to vote, you do not need to re-register for any reason. You also do not have to turn in a new voter registration form every two years just to stay registered. The only time you need to re-register to vote is if you are no longer registered. If you are already registered to vote, and someone tries to convince you that you must re-register, that is not true. If you have questions about your registration, you should contact your county board of elections. 
  6. Third party registration mailings. Nonprofit groups are starting to send hundreds of thousands of mailers to NC residents encouraging them to register or update their registration. The data they use to create their mailing lists is not always precise, so it’s possible that voters who are already registered or ineligible individuals may receive these mailings. Voters who are already registered do not need to re-register. Ineligible individuals should not attempt to register. N.C. election officials do not send mass mailings to encourage voter registration. Voters with questions or concerns should contact the organization that sent the mailing. 
  7. Updating a registration. Existing NCDMV customers can use the online registration service to update their address or party affiliation. If your name has changed, though, you’ll need to update that with a paper voter registration form. Any voter can fill out a paper voter registration application and return it to their county board of elections. 
  8. Canceling a registration. Any individual who is on the registration rolls but is not eligible to vote, or desires to no longer be registered, may cancel their registration by filling out the Cancellation of Voter Registration form and returning it to the county board of elections where they are registered. Near relatives of a deceased voter, or the personal representative of a deceased voter’s estate, may cancel a deceased voter’s registration by filling out the Notification of Deceased Voter form (PDF) form, and submitting it to the deceased voter’s county board of elections.  

Quote from Karen Brinson Bell, State Board executive director:

“Now is the time to use the State Board’s Voter Search tool to check your registration and make sure it’s up to date. If you’re eligible to vote but not registered, now is the time to submit an application and make your voice heard in 2024. It’s quick and easy.”

 [Watch video: Check Your Voter Registration.]



 


 

ELECTION RESULTS