It’s that time of year again. With the voting cycle underway, the timeline for preparing to vote is getting shorter and shorter. Specifically with the primaries, who you want, or can, vote for can be confusing.
Candidates are dropping out of the race one after the other. However, a couple have remained stalwart in their endeavors to be elected as President of the United States. Here’s how you can make sure you’re ready and able to vote in this year’s upcoming primary election.

Make sure you’re registered to vote.
The most important part of voting is making sure one is registered to vote. Anyone can register to vote online, in person at the DMV or via mail so long as they do not have any court orders preventing them from doing so. Same day registration is available for early, in-person voting for this primary election in North Carolina. Registration for the 2024 general election on Nov. 5, 2024, must be completed by Oct. 11, 2024.

Make sure you vote on time.
The second most important part of the voting process is ensuring your ballot is cast on time and within the deadlines laid out by the local board of elections overseeing the voting procedures and ballot counting.
To this end, here are the current state dates and deadlines for votes to be cast in the upcoming North Carolina primaries. If you or someone you know is active-duty military, these dates and deadlines may change depending on their current duty station or assignment. Please have them reach out to their company’s executive officer for more information.

• Feb. 15, 2024: In-person early voting began; same-day registration is available.

• Feb. 27, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).

• March 2, 2024: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).

• March 5, 2024: Primary Election Day.

• March 5, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).

Make sure you know where to vote.
Knowing the locations where one can vote may make things a challenge for new or interested voters who may not already be familiar with the process. Be sure to bring a valid ID. For a list of acceptable state IDs, visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id.

For early voting, these are the sites that will be open from February 15th to March 2nd:

• Cliffdale Recreation Center
6404 Cliffdale Road, Fayetteville, NC 28314

• College Lakes Recreation Center
4945 Rosehill Road, Fayetteville, NC 28311

• East Regional Library
4809 Clinton Road, Fayetteville, NC 28312

• Gray’s Creek Recreation Center
2964 School Road, Hope Mills, NC 28348

• Kiwanis Recreation Center
352 Deavers Street, Fayetteville, NC 28303

• Smith Recreation Center
1520 Slater Avenue, Fayetteville, NC 28301

• Spring Lake Multipurpose Community Center
245 Ruth Street, Spring Lake, NC 28390

• Stoney Point Recreation Center
7411 Rockfish Road, Fayetteville, NC 28306

For complications with disabilities, health, or age, there are voting procedures in place to allow curbside or assisted voting for those interested and unable to safely engage with the in-person voting process.
For this information and more, please visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website at https://www.ncsbe.gov/. Up & Coming Weekly encourages everyone able to participate to vote and have their voices heard. Happy voting, and we hope to see you at the polls!