​Early Voting Starts Thursday At 20 Locations Across Wake County

Press release from the Wake County Government:

by Stephen R. Walston on 10/13/2020 8:05 AM
Category: Board of Elections; WakeGOV Home Page

Sites
open seven days a week through Oct. 31

Are you ready to vote? Starting Thursday, you
can cast your ballot ahead of the Nov. 3 election at 20 sites located around
Wake County.

“Early voting is a great way to find a time
that’s convenient to participate in the election,” said Gary Sims, director of
the Wake County Board of Elections. “You can even register to vote and update
your address at the same time you cast your ballot.”

Wake County has made it easy to find your
nearest early voting location. Visit WakeVotesEarly.com for an
interactive map, hours, details about each site, answers to frequently asked
questions and more. You can check your voter registration and download a sample
ballot customized to your address at ReadyToVote.com.

Starting Thursday, early voting will be open
for the 17-day period:

• Weekdays from 8 a.m. to
  7:30 p.m.;
• Saturdays from 8 a.m. to
  1 p.m.; and
• Sundays from 1-6 p.m.

On the
last day of early voting, Saturday, Oct. 31, sites will open from 8 a.m. to 3
p.m.

Looking to beat the crowds? Lines are
historically shortest on the first days of early voting. The
busiest times are around lunchtime on weekdays, 10-11 a.m. on Saturdays and the
last three days of early voting.

There are 20 early voting sites around Wake
County:

• Abbott's Creek Community Center, 9950 Durant Road, Raleigh
• Apex Community Center, 53 Hunter Street, Apex
• Avery Street Recreation Center, 125 Avery Street, Garner
• Barwell Road Community Center, 5857 Barwell Park Drive, Raleigh
• Cary Senior Center, 120 Maury Odell Place, Cary
• Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon
• Green Road Community Center, 4201 Green Road, Raleigh
• Herbert C. Young Community Center, 101 Wilkinson Ave., Cary
• Knightdale Recreation Center, 102 Lawson Ridge Road, Knightdale
• Lake Lynn Community Center, 7921 Ray Road, Raleigh
• Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh
• N.C. State Talley Student Union, 2610 Cates Ave., Raleigh
• Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest
• Optimist Community Center, 5900 Whittier Drive, Raleigh
• Roberts Community Center, 1300 E. Martin St., Raleigh
• Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh
• Wake Tech North Campus, 6600 Louisburg Road, Raleigh
• Wake Tech South Campus, 9101 Fayetteville Road, Raleigh
• W.E. Hunt Recreation Center, 301 Stinson Ave., Holly Springs
• W.O. Council Gym, 106 N. Ennis St., Fuquay-Varina

In
previous elections, voters have voted early in Downtown Raleigh at the Wake
County Board of Elections. That option is unavailable this year, because the
Board has moved to 1200 N. New Hope Road, and the previous space was converted
into an Emergency Operations Center during the response to COVID-19.

COVID-19
has changed every aspect of our world, and this year’s election is no exception. The Board of Elections has implemented a number
of safety procedures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Voters will be
provided masks, hand sanitizer and single-use pens to mark their ballots.
Election officials will wear proper personal protective equipment, sanitize
surfaces between voters and ensure everyone adheres to social distancing
guidelines.

Here's
a video showing the ways Wake County has prepared and
will work to ensure each vote counts.

This press release was produced by the Wake County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.