NEW HANOVER COUNTY — An early voting plan will be considered in July by the county elections board to include five sites for voters during the midterm elections. The public is also welcome to give their input on it before the board votes to solidify the strategy.
According to the elections board, the sites opening for the Nov. 3 midterms include:
- Pine Valley Library, 3802 College Rd.
- Northeast Regional Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd.
- MLK Community Center, 401 S 8th St.
- Carolina Beach Town Hall, 1121 N Lake Park Blvd.
- New Hanover County Board of Elections, 226 Government Center Dr.
READ MORE: Want to volunteer to help with New Hanover County elections? Here’s how
A few sites may be different from four years ago, with Cape Fear Community College and Senior Resource Center replaced by MLK Community Center for downtown and Pine Valley Library for the midtown area respectively. The early voting plan also utilizes the New Hanover County Board of Elections Office, Northeast Regional Library, and Carolina Beach Town Hall.
“These proposed locations offer enhanced accessibility through multiple transportation options and are expected to improve traffic flow and voter convenience compared to previously used sites,” the elections board indicated in a document released to the public on Monday.
Early voting opens for 17 days by state law; though multiple bills have been put forth recently in the state legislature to slash early voting days. In New Hanover County, 775 operational hours are scheduled for the midterm elections, to include:
- Thursday-Friday, Oct 15-16, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Closed Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 17-18
- Monday-Friday, Oct. 19-23, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 24-25, noon to 5 p.m.
- Monday-Friday, Oct. 26-30, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The board said it chose a plan based on data from 2022’s midterms, with similar hours. In 2022, there were 52,061 early voters. It was slightly higher for the 2024 presidential election, with 58,433 participating during in-person early voting, though presidential election years feature the highest voter turnout.
According to the state board, it will cost around $33,372 to run each of the five sites, totaling $166,860.
The public can provide their feedback on the plan by 5 p.m. on July 10 here and the elections board will vote four days later on July 14. The deadline for submitting plans to the North Carolina State Board of Elections is July 24.
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