Here Are the Important Dates to Know for 2023 Election Season in Orange, Chatham Counties

The local election season is here — and while candidates have been working for months to launch their campaigns and connect with voters, many people are still deciding when and how they will participate. With municipal elections in Orange and Chatham counties, residents will want to have their perspectives heard and represented as the directions of their towns are decided.

But when does it matter the most for people to determine how to cast their ballots in 2023? Some deadlines are critical to know based on changes to new statewide voter identification and absentee ballot laws, as well as different early voting options in the counties.

Here are the dates and deadlines to keep in mind for voting in the Orange and Chatham county municipal elections in the next month:

Saturday, October 7: Orange County Elections Office Open Outside of Normal Hours

North Carolinians participating in this year’s local elections will be required to show a valid form of photo identification at the polls, which became active after a state Supreme Court ruling in 2023.

Many people may use their drivers licenses, passports, or university ID cards to use. But the county Boards of Elections also offer a free option for voters to consider: an ID issued by them, specifically to use for voting. All the information needed to request one of these cards is one’s full name, their date of birth, and last four digits of their social security number.

While the Orange County Board of Elections is open Mondays through Fridays, it is also opening on Saturday, October 7 to offer the opportunity for people to drop by and receive a state voter ID card outside of normal business hours. The address for the board of elections office is 208 South Cameron Street in Hillsborough and no appointment is necessary to request a card.

It is worth noting: whether or not someone brings a valid form of identification to the polls when they vote, they will still be allowed to vote. People will be required to use a provisional ballot, and can then either fill out an ID exemption form or bring a valid photo ID to the county elections office on November 14 — one week after Election Day.

Learn more about North Carolina’s voter ID requirements here.

Friday, October 13: Voter Registration Deadline Online, In-Person or via Mail

Beyond needing a valid photo ID, North Carolina voters are also required to be registered to vote. People can do this — or update their registration with a new address or political party — by visiting a North Carolina DMV location or the NCDMV website. Additionally, voter registrations can be requested and filled out through the mail with the North Carolina Board of Elections.

Information needed for registering to vote includes: one’s age, citizenship to the U.S., permanent address, mailing address, and optional demographic data. People can check to see if they are registered or what their information is here.

The final day to change one’s registration through those methods is Friday, October 13. There is, however, another way to register past this initial deadline.

Thursday, October 19: Start of Early Voting

Early voting offers North Carolina voters the option to cast their ballots at the polling place of their choosing. It also serves as a one-stop registration period, where people can both register to vote and fill out a ballot in the same day. Residents can also update their address or party affiliation at early voting sites as well.

This year in Orange County, only one early voting site will open on Thursday, October 19: Orange Works at Hillsborough Commons at 113 Mayo Street. The Orange County Board of Elections said the decision is based on voter turnout data and the county adding an additional early voting location this cycle compared to prior local elections. Elections Director Rachel Raper said this schedule will still allow people an option to vote as early as possible, while still using the Board of Elections’ resources and volunteers as efficiently as possible.

Chatham County, meanwhile, has only one early voting site for its municipal elections in Pittsboro, Siler City and Goldston in 2023. The Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center off U.S. Highway 64 will once again be used as a polling site and will be open at these times through the early voting period.

Thursday, October 26: Opening of More Orange County Early Voting Sites

One week into early voting, Orange County will add four other early voting sites into its operations. People will have the opportunity to cast their ballots at either the Chapel Hill Public Library, the Seymour Senior Center, the Chapel of the Cross church, or Carrboro Town Hall property at 108 Bim Street.

Photo via the Orange County government.

Tuesday, October 31: Deadline to Request Absentee Ballots

Voting by mail is also an option for both Orange and Chatham County voters this local cycle. Residents can request for their ballots to be sent to their address if they fill out a request through the state’s online portal or by mailing the state Board of Elections.

The period to request this, however, is finite. Tuesday, October 31 is the final day to send in a request to vote with an absentee ballot and the request must be made by 5 p.m.

More information about voting by mail can be found on the North Carolina Board of Elections’ website.

Saturday, November 4: End of Early Voting + Last Voter Registration Deadline

Not only is November 4 the end of early voting, it’s the final day to change voter registration information and to receive a North Carolina voter ID card from a county Board of Elections. Orange County’s sites will close at 3 p.m. and staff’s focus will shift toward Election Day.

Tuesday, November 7: Election Day + Absentee Ballot Return Deadline

Unlike during the early voting period, community members looking to vote on Election Day will be required to go to their specific polling site within their precinct for their ballot to be counted. Those sites can be searched by individual voter here, or by the respective county Board of Elections pages. Orange County’s can be found here, while Chatham County’s is here.

Absentee ballots being dropped off to county boards of election must be returned by 5 p.m. An extension is given for ballots sent over the mail: if they are postmarked by November 7 and reach the boards of elections by Friday, November 10, then they will be counted.

For a full list of races Chapelboro is covering this 2023 local election cycle, click here. Additional coverage throughout election season can be found on the Chapelboro Local Elections page.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said election laws in North Carolina had changed and required the return date for absentee ballots to be Election Day. That is the case in legislation recently passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, but vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper. If overridden, the law would go into effect in 2024.

Photo via Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill.

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