The Guilford County Board of Elections has been busy lately because same-day registration is possible, if you go during an early voting time. And, early voting has begun. You need to go downtown to the Guilford County Courthouse on West Market Street to vote early. Yesterday afternoon, it was taking about an hour to move through the line. On Thursday, additional early voting places will open, which will expand capacity great. It is anticipated that the polls will be busy right up to Tuesday, November 8th (Election Day) when the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. On July 29th, the need for registered voters to have a photo ID was struck down. So, if you are registered, all you need to do is state your name, address, and sign that you are who you say you are. Room 115, The Board of Elections, oversees this process.

The Board of Elections* has many functions. They provide voters with information about voting; provide information about elected officials and about filing fees; oversee the whole election process, monitor and provide results; they also share data, district and precinct maps, and reports. In spite of the calm seen in the above office yesterday, just beyond the office door, the line was wrapped through the hallway and, to be sure, the Board of Elections staff members were hard at work. Workers in the voting room were working tirelessly, without much time to catch their breath. 

We got tickled as we exited the courthouse after voting, the young man behind us was videotaping a selfie to his social media. His broadcast started like this, “I was a Bernie man and Bernie left me, so I had to pick between two [imperfect] candidates…” His broadcast continued all the way down the block. It was heartwarming to see young voter so passionate about the election. If you haven’t voted already, now, it is your turn!

*read more about the Board of Elections, here.