Voting for Beginners

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. You’re an adult and soon to be contributing member of society. Flex your new-found adulthood by voting in the 2016 primary elections. You might be asking: “Where do I start?” Here’s what you need to know. 
When do I need to register? To vote in the March 15 primary in North Carolina, you must register by Feb. 19. (Note that if you are registered in another state, the primary make take place on a different date.)
What is a primary? When it comes to the primaries, you are voting for eligible candidates from each party to run for this year’s presidential seat. When you register to vote, you will choose a political party (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or you can be unaffiliated) and that will be the crop of candidates you pick from. This goes for the other parties as well, except if you’re unaffiliated you can choose any of the political affiliations to vote for in the primaries.
How do I register? The easiest way to register to vote is to go online to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website at ncsbe.gov. Go to the menu bar, find the voter registration tab, and choose “voter registration form” from the drop down menu. You will have to save/download the provided pdf document, open it on the computer and fill out the form; it is recommend that you print then fill in the form.
If you live on campus, you can use the address of William Peace University as your street address/ where you live (15 E. Peace Street).
Sign at bottom of the page next to the “X” and mail your registration form to Wake counties board of elections. You will receive your voter registration card within two weeks.
You can also pick up a paper copy from political science professor Elizabeth Kusko in her office on campus in Flowe 203. She is also willing to help students will out the forms, or answer other voting questions. She can be reached by email her at ekusko@peace.edu.
What if I am registered in another state or county? Peace students can register as Raleigh residents. However, if you have already registered in another state, or in another North Carolina county, you will need to request an absentee ballot from that state unless you plan to go home to vote in person.
Students who are registered to vote in another state or county can go online to their county’s board of election site, fill out a form and send it in. The board of elections will send an absentee ballot to that student with a due date. Students will need to check when the primary for their state is held, so that they request the absentee ballot before the deadline.
 
Where do I go to vote? When the time comes for you to vote in the primaries, if you live on campus, the polls will be located at Trinity United Methodist Church the address is 824 N. Bloodworth St.  Raleigh, NC 27604. If you don’t live on campus you can locate your polling location at ncsbe.gov under the voting tools tab.
-Rebekah Malkin contributed to this report.