UPDATE: More on Absentee Voting 

Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,

It’s another Take Action Tuesday from the ICCV Legislative Committee. A few quick updates then we will move on to our primary discussion for today, ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL…AGAIN.

THIS WEEK IN THE LEGISLATIVE ARENA:

The North Carolina General Assembly is in recess. There are no legislative actions planned in Raleigh this week. 

The House is off for the Labor Day holiday, with no votes scheduled until September 14, 2026. The Senate is still in recess until September 14. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Have you signed up to be part of ICCV’s Election Defense Corps? Please consider helping. We discussed this in detail in last week’s Take Action Tuesday. https://www.indivisibleccv.org/september-1-2026

LET’S TALK ABSENTEE MAIL-IN VOTING AGAIN…

We wrote about absentee mail-in voting several weeks ago, stressing the importance of following all the instructions carefully to be sure your ballot is counted. On Friday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) voted along party lines to communicate numbered memos to the county election boards around absentee voting. Numbered memos are directives from the executive director of NCSBE to county boards with instructions about the handling of election related issues. These numbered memos are designed to make it easier to disenfranchise voters, primarily by looking at “technical” errors made by the voter. It is likely that this will result in more mailed ballots not being counted. 

This was clearly an end run around the legislative process. Originally written as election rules, and passed by the Rules Review Commission, there was enough public objection to trigger legislative review. The State Board then decided to reissue them as numbered memos, sending them to the county BOEs less than 2 months before the mid-term elections. 

WHAT TO DO: 

If it is at all possible, we strongly encourage voters to vote in person, ideally during Early Voting. By doing so, you can be as sure as possible that your vote will be counted. Any questions around your vote, or your eligibility to vote, can be addressed during Early Voting. You can vote at any one of the Early Voting locations in the county in which you live. If you are eligible to vote, but are not registered, you can register and vote at the same time during Early Voting. 

If you MUST vote by absentee ballot, our best advice is to request your ballot early, then carefully read and follow ALL instructions when completing your ballot. 

See HOW TO DO IT below. Ballots may be returned to any Early Voting site or to the County Board of Elections office. AVOID mailing your ballot. If you must mail, do it early and affix the correct postage (3 FOREVER stamps as of this writing). If you do choose to mail your ballot, be sure to track it at https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/

HOW TO DO IT: 

1.     Request an absentee ballot by mail either online or on paper. Paper requests may be hand delivered or mailed to the county board of elections office. 

a.     The deadline to request an absentee ballot is two weeks before election day, which for the 2026 midterms is October 20, 2026 at 5 PM.  PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO REQUEST YOUR BALLOT! 

b.     Your date of birth and either a North Carolina driver’s license or ID number, or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. 

c.     Sign the request form. Make sure the form is complete, including information about any person who assisted you with the request. 

d.     Submit the online request or return the paper form to your local county board of elections. 

2.     Complete your ballot. 

a.     Mark your ballot. Pay attention to races lower on the ballot; these are local races and every vote in these races is especially important.

b.     Place your ballot in the ballot return envelope and seal the envelope. NOTE: You will receive 2 envelopes with your ballot. Be sure to place your ballot in the correct envelope. Put nothing else in that envelope. Save the other envelope for step F.

c.     On the back of the envelope, sign your name. Have your 2 witnesses OR a notary public sign the back of the envelope as well.

d.     If you received assistance completing your ballot, that person will also sign the back of the envelope.

e.     Place a copy of an eligible photo ID in the clear sleeve on the back of the envelope. 

f.      Place the inner envelope containing your ballot into the outer envelope. Mail, deliver to the county board of elections office, or return the ballot at an early voting site. With a few exceptions, only you or a near relative can hand deliver your ballot.

g.     ICCV recommends mailing your ballot a minimum of 7 days before election day. There is NO grace period. Ballots must be received by 7:30 PM on Election Day, which is November 3, 2026. 

https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail/detailed-instructions-vote-mail

*Changed your mind after requesting an absentee ballot?The ballot you mailed back is not showing as received by BallotTrax? You are still able to vote in person if your absentee ballot has not been logged as returned by the county BOE. If you vote in person, and your absentee ballot arrives later at the BOE, it will be discarded. 

More questions? Contact the Catawba County Board of Elections at (828)464-2424 or email aduncan@catawbacounty.gov

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:

President Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in ballots as evidence of voter fraud, even though he often votes by mail himself. Although election management is the responsibility of the states, the president has attempted to exert control over elections. Even though the election is now only 8 weeks away, and with early voting in North Carolina beginning in just over 5 weeks, the administration continues to attempt to suppress voting, especially around absentee ballots, using both Executive Orders and USPS rules. While these attempts have been repeatedly blocked by federal judges, the noise continues. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-administration-supreme-court-mail-ballot-restrictions-appeal-rcna596346

The numbered memos from the NCSBE make it easier for absentee votes to be spoiled. Minor errors can result in your vote not counting. Governor Stein called the orders “a slap in the face to voters…and a blatant circumvention of the law.”  Sailor Jones, Executive Director of Common Cause NC called the actions “a violation of the public trust.” https://ncnewsline.com/2026/09/04/more-absentee-ballots-in-nc-in-danger-of-being-tossed-under-new-directives/

Historically, absentee voting has been a safe and secure method of voting and is often the only way accessible to some voters. There is a lot of noise, chaos, and confusion around the mid-term elections. That is the point. If voting is too hard, some voters will decide to just stay home. Allow us to reiterate that absentee voting may not be the best choice to be sure your ballot is counted, but it is still an option. However you choose to exercise your right, PLEASE VOTE! Your voice matters. Some local elections are decided by only a handful of votes. Sample ballots are now available on the NCSBE website https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/  Enter your information as you do when checking your registration, then scroll down to “Your Sample Ballot.” You can click on the ballot to print it and use as reference. You can also carry your sample ballot with you when you go to the polls.

Our primary focus will continue to be on elections between now and election day. If there is a particular election-related issue you would like us to research and address, please e-mail us at iccvlegislation@gmail.com

Someone told the story recently of a young man who was encouraging his friends to vote. He said, “Don’t think your vote won’t matter. If it didn’t matter, why would they be trying so hard to get you NOT to vote?”

Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy! 

ICCV Legislative Committee                                                                                                               

“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”