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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Early Voting Improves Accessibility To The Polls for Working Voters

New Hanover County Board of Elections (http://elections.nhcgov.com/public-information/one-stop-totals/)
One-Stop Voting Totals, Last Updated on October 28, 2014

In 2013, North Carolina shortened the early voting period to ten days.  But New Hanover County has extended the evening hours for early voting to make it more accessible to the working voter.

During the early voting period, registered voters can cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county.  In New Hanover, these sites include the Government Center, the Senior Center, the Northeast and Main libraries, and Carolina Beach Town Hall.  They are open from 10AM to 7PM through Friday, and on Saturday from 8AM to 1PM.  Marvin McFadyen, Director of the County Board of Elections, says the highest voter volume is at the Government Center.  He says that vote times are typically thirty minutes or less: 

"It depends on the time of day.  I’ve seen early in the morning, the wait times seem to be less.  The times that it gets busy seems to vary, but I can tell you, just by looking at statistical numbers by the hour, seems the best time to come out to vote would be in the evenings after five."

McFadyen says the popularity of One-stop Voting has grown since 2000, when it was first allowed in North Carolina.  He estimates that about one third of voters participate in early voting.  Early voting ends at 1 o’clock this Saturday, November 1.