Voting in Haywood County

All eligible citizens are encouraged to vote, but first you must register.

Who can register?

• U.S. citizens who are or will be 18 by the next General Election
• Persons who have been a resident of North Carolina and this county for 30 days before the election in which you intend to vote
• A United States citizen
• Convicted felons whose rights have been restored

Is there a deadline?

To be eligible to vote in an upcoming election, a person must register 25 days before an election. Haywood County has a permanent registration system. You need to update information ONLY if you:

• Moved to a different address
• Wish to change your party affiliation
• Have changed your name
• Made changes of any kind

Where do I register?

Voter Registration applications are available at the following locations:

• The Haywood County Board of Elections at 1233 North Main St.,Waynesville
• Haywood County Public Libraries
• N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles
• Public Assistance Agencies
• N.C. Employment Security Commission
• Smoky Mountain Center for Mental Health
• Military recruiting offices

Download a Voter Registration Application/Change of Information Form

The completed information should be mailed to the Haywood County Board of Elections, 1233 N. Main St., Annex. II, Waynesville, NC 28786. If a registration deadline is approaching, information may be faxed to (828) 452-6750 providing the original documents are later mailed.

NC Identification Requirements

If you do not have a driver's license or social security number, you must provide with your application either a copy of a current and valid photo identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address. If you do not provide the information requested when you apply, you will be required to present it to election officials the first time you vote at a polling place or by absentee ballot.

Where do I vote?

After registration, voters will receive a voter registration card notifying them of their precinct and polling place. It is not necessary to show this card to vote, but many put it in their wallet as another identification form.

Absentee voting

Recent legislative changes on "no-excuse" absentee voting allow any registered voter to cast an absentee ballot without giving a reason. Previously, only voters who expected to be absent on election day or had another valid excuse could vote early through the absentee voting method. There are two distinct methods of absentee voting. Read more about absentee voting.

Traditional method

In the traditional method, a voter must make a written request for an absentee ballot. After the request is received, the county Board of Elections will mail an official application and ballot. The voter fills out the absentee envelope and returns it with the voted ballots, to the election board office. While absentee ballot requests can be mailed in at any time, the earliest date they may be obtained in person at the board of elections office is 50 days before a scheduled election. The completed absentee envelope with voted ballot must arrive at the Haywood County Board of Elections office no later than 5 p.m. the Monday before an election.

Letters of request for an absentee ballot may be mailed to the Haywood County Board of Elections, Annex II, 1233 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC 28786.

One-stop absentee voting

Beginning the third Thursday before an election, voters may stop by the Haywood County Temporary Administration Building, 81 Elmwood Way, in Waynesville or the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., fill out an absentee application and immediately vote. Because the application information must be entered into the computer and printed, the process takes several minutes, especially if registration records need to be corrected. Allow extra time to vote one-stop absentee in the event there is a line.

One-stop absentee voting ends on the Saturday before the upcoming election and both locations will be open that Saturday only between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

*One-stop voting for the May 2008 Primary will be held at the Haywood County Office Building, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. For more information, contact the Board of Elections at 828-452-6633.

Curbside Voting

If you want to vote at your own precinct on Election Day, but have disabilities or impairments that make it difficult to do so, please alert an election worker and you may remain in your vehicle and have the ballot brought to you.

What if I've Moved?

If you have moved since the previous election, but did not notifiy the Election Office, you may still vote, but you must do so in your new precinct. If you have not reported a move, the easiest option is to vote one-stop absentee. Otherwise, you may call the Election Office to learn about the procedure for transfer and provisional voting.

Who Votes in Primary Elections?

Both the Democratic and Republican parties use a primary election process to narrow the field of candidates for the general election. Unaffiliated voters may vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary, but not both.