With UNC’s move to remote learning after many students had planned to be on-campus for the fall semester, some people’s plans to vote in the upcoming elections might be altered.

The Orange County government issued guidance to UNC students on Thursday to explain what changes might be needed if they had registered to vote in Orange County or had requested absentee ballots to be sent to an address where they will no longer be. Orange County Board of Elections Director Rachel Raper said in a release students registered to vote at a campus address and are unsure if they are leaving campus should resolve their housing situation first, but others who will be away should act quickly.

For students registered to vote at a campus address who will now be out of town, county officials suggest requesting an absentee ballot and having it sent to the new address of a student’s choosing. According to Thursday’s release, this is the best option for students who know they are leaving or have left their campus address for the remainder of the fall semester.

Some students, though, may have already requested an absentee ballot be sent to their campus address. Orange County said those UNC students should send the Board of Elections an updated request with the alternative address so a ballot can be sent to the correct location.

The county said students needing ballots for both of these reasons should act quickly. While the deadline to request an absentee ballot for the November election is October 27, Raper and other county officials have cited high demand for the ballots so far this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Elections reports it has received around 14,000 mail-in ballots so far, which is almost triple the amount it processed for the 2016 presidential election.

In addition to mailing in completed ballots, there are multiple ways to return an absentee ballot, as outlined by a recent interview with Orange County Commissioner Penny Rich.

To request an absentee ballot, visit the Orange County Board of Elections’ website. Early voting in the county begins on October 15.

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