Greene and Halifax County Board of Elections officials discuss what you need to know before voting early

GREENE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – As early voting begins in North Carolina on Thursday, election officials here in the East want to make sure you have everything you need before you go to the polls.

Election season is here and many people in North Carolina will be voting early Thursday.

“People want to have a say in the decisions that are made for them, and that is their constitutional right,” said Halifax County Elections Director Kristin Scott.

As anxious as many people may be to receive their ballots, Michelle Sutton, director of the Greene County Board of Elections, says there are things voters need to know to ensure the process goes smoothly.

Signs reading “Photo ID Required” are posted around early voting locations in Greene County. This is the first presidential election in which North Carolinians will be required to present identification, such as a driver’s license or DMV-issued ID, when voting.

“We also accept military IDs, there are even some new school IDs approved that we can accept, but you have to have ID,” Sutton said.

Also note that taking a selfie with your official ballot is not permitted.

“We know it’s a problem across the state that some people want to show how they voted, but we encourage voters not to do that,” Scott said.

Both Greene and Halifax County election officials say they expect large voter turnouts this year, especially given what’s at stake.

“Typically in the past, more people showed up for early voting than on Election Day,” Sutton said. “Since this is a presidential election, we expect a large turnout.”

Sutton recommends doing research on candidates before voting. Scott also recommends contacting your county’s board of elections to combat election misinformation.

Sutton says her site will be open tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you don’t have photo ID when you go to your polling place, you may still be able to vote. Just check with your election board about other options.

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