Make Sure Your Vote Counts This Fall
The fate of our environment will be heavily impacted by the General Election this fall, and major civic engagement is key to all of the issues MountainTrue works on.
With the right leadership, we can enforce the 100% renewable energy commitments of communities like Boone, Clyde and Waynesville; keep more carbon in the ground through smarter forest and energy policy; and upgrade our stormwater infrastructure to better deal with heavy storms and make our rivers safer to fish and swim in.
North Carolina and Georgia will be deciding states in the direction our country takes to address the environmental issues of our time, but the pandemic and possible delays in the postal system create unique challenges for voting for this year. To make sure your vote is counted we’re asking you to check that your voter registration is up to date and to cast your vote as soon as possible.
North Carolina
The deadline to register to vote or update your registration in NC is October 9!
How to update your voter registration: Online registration is free and available, or you can fill out a registration form to drop off at your local Board of Elections office.
Is there early voting? Yes, October 15-October 31.
Deadline to request an absentee (mail-in) ballot: The deadline is October 27 at 5pm, but request it as soon as you can to provide enough time to receive, carefully fill out and mail in your completed ballot.
After mailing in your ballot, you can track it to make sure it has arrived and been counted without any problems.
Is photo ID required to vote? No.
Georgia
The deadline to register or update your registration in Georgia is October 5!
How to update your voter registration: Update your registration using the online portal below or download, print and mail in the postage-paid voter registration form to the office of Georgia’s Secretary of State. If you choose to mail in your registration, make sure it’s postmarked by October 5 at the latest.
You can also register to vote in person. Please practice COVID-19 safety measures if you choose this option. Contact your local elections office to learn where and when to register to vote below.
Is there early in-person voting? Yes, the early voting period is from October 12-30.
Deadline to request an absentee (mail-in) ballot: Request your ballot as soon as possible below. The deadline is October 30 at 5pm, but request it as soon as you can to provide enough time to receive, carefully fill out and mail in your completed ballot.
Is photo ID required to vote? Yes. You will need to bring state or federal government-issued photo ID to vote in person. Examples include:
- Georgia driver’s license (even if expired)
- Valid employee photo ID from any branch of federal, state or local government
- US passport
- Military ID
- Student photo ID issued by any Georgia public college, university or technical school.
Common Mail-In Ballot Mistakes To Avoid
(Source: Business Insider)
1. Improperly filling out your ballot
2. Forgetting to sign your envelope
3. Using a different signature from what your state has on file
Not including required additional documentation
5. Sending your ballot back too late
More Reliable Voting Resources
Vote 411 – vote411.org
League of Women Voters: lwv.org
Sign up to be a poll worker through Democracy NC here.
Sign Up To Be A Poll Protector with Democracy NC here.