RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — In-person early voting continues across the state and election officials are reminding voters about how they can be confident their vote is counted in this election season.
Depending on which voting method you choose — whether early voting, on election day, or by mail — there are several ways to determine that your ballot was received and counted.
Voting 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.
You can find that your vote was recorded in the Voter Search database by simply searching for your record on the State Board’s Voter Search tool and scrolling down to the “Your Ballot: By Mail or Early Voting” section. 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.
Also, the “Your Voter History” section of your voter record shows when you have voted. This section is updated after each election after your county has gone through the process of assigning voter history to all voters’ records. This could take weeks or longer after the election.
Voting 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.
To check if your ballot was counted, you can 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.
Voting absentee by mail
Once your ballot is received by your county board of elections, you can find that your vote is 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.
Also, 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.
