In 2019, Orange County approved changes to several voting precincts in the county, the first time in nearly five years a change had been made. First used for the 2020 primary elections, county voters should expect the same changes to be in place for Tuesday as they head to the polls.
The changes, implemented in January, turned the county’s 44 existing voting precincts into 41 by combining some and splitting others. The changes led to the Westwood, Cedar Falls, UNC, Rogers Eubanks and Hillsborough East precincts being created, with other surrounding precincts being absorbed or altered to achieve that.
Orange County Board of Elections Director Rachel Raper told Chapelboro in January the changes were to make both primary and general Election Days go much smoother for voters.
“The board looked at our precinct lines and looked at Election Day turnout versus early voting turnout,” Raper said when describing how the changes were determined. “[We] really had a conversation about how we’re using public funds and how we can make voting more efficient for voters on Election Day.”
Unlike during the early voting period, one’s listed address in voter registration determines the precinct you must vote in during Election Day. Raper said the elections board aims to make it easier for voters to go straight to correct voting locations and to also ease the determination of which precinct some residents fall into. She said when the precinct lines were drawn based on township lines, it created issues in the past.
“They look beautiful on a map because they’re nice and straight,” said Raper. “But in practice, a lot of times township lines would cut across property and cut across houses. It would sometimes lead us to uncomfortable conversations. [We’d ask] ‘point to where you sleep in your house’ because where you lay your head at night with ‘intention to return’ determines where you vote.”
On Monday, Raper suggested voters make a plan before voting on Election Day to ensure they arrive at the correct precinct polling site, but also to prepare for safety guidelines in place. While she told Chapelboro she does not expect precinct locations to get too crowded, there should be a consistent flow. She pointed to Orange County having the fourth-highest turnout of any county in North Carolina so far as a sign that polling places might see fewer crowds than usual. But that might be helpful with more precautions in place to protect public health at the voting sites.
“I do not believe we will have long lines as 68% of voters have already voted,” Raper wrote to Chapelboro. “There are additional safety precautions in place, so it will take longer to vote.”
Orange County voters can check their precinct location by visiting the North Carolina Board of Elections website or by using a Map Your Trip tool on the county elections web page.
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