Precinct Officials

Q:  Are Precinct Officials volunteers?

A.  No, precinct officials are political appointees.  In addition to being appointed, not hired, by formal action of the Board of Elections, these individuals are paid for their services.

Q:  What is the pay for working the polls?

A.  Election officials are paid a lump sum for their service on Election Day.  The amount varies by job title:

Chief Judge - $140

Judge of Election - $130

Assistant - $120

Half-day Assistant* - $55

*Half-day assistants are used in certain situations when officials have extenuating circumstances that prevent them from working a full day.  Those who are unable to work a full day should be aware that this option is not frequently exercised by the Board.

Additionally, those who attend training receive the sum of $25.

Q. Must I attend training?

A.  Only Chief Judges and Judges of Election are mandated by NC State law to attend training prior to each election.  Assistants are encouraged to attend.

Q.  Can I volunteer if I don’t care about getting paid? 

A. All precinct officials are appropriately compensated for their work on Election Day.

Q. How does the appointment process work?

A.  By North Carolina General Statute, names are first submitted by the County chairs of the two major political parties.  If these recommendations are submitted by the deadline specified by law, the Board must appoint the individuals recommended.  If the number of names submitted by the party is insufficient, the Board may appoint additional officials at its discretion, but certain guidelines, such as balancing the number of assistants representing each party and appointing officials to work in their home precincts wherever possible, apply.

Q. How long will my shift on Election Day last?

A. Precinct officials work the entire time that the polls are open.  Polls are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM.  Precinct officials are expected to arrive by at least 6:00 AM to set up (though the Chief Judge may designate an earlier time if necessary) and will leave after ballots have been counted and election materials have been packed up.  The Chief Judge will release everyone when it is appropriate.  It is best to plan to be at the precinct for at least an hour after the polls close.  While this means a very long day, most workers find the experience quite enjoyable and rewarding.

Q.  Do I get a lunch hour when I work?

A. North Carolina General Statute stipulates that precinct officials may not leave the polling place and return to work later in the day.  For this reason, officials are asked to bring any food and/or medicine they might need during the day, or have a person bring a meal to the door.  Family members are not permitted to join election officials for a meal inside the polling place.

Q.  What if I work full-time?  Can I still help out?

A. NCGS 163-41.2 provides Election officials who work full-time are expected to resolve these matters with their employers.  NCGS 163-41.2 prevents employers from taking disciplinary action against an employee who has been appointed to work as a precinct official. The precinct official must provide the employer with not less than thirty (30) day notice.

Those who work full-time should also note that assistants are not required, but are strongly encouraged to attend a training session.  Judges, however, are required by law to attend training.  Judges and those working for the first time, especially, should plan their schedules to include time for training as well as for working on Election Day.

Q. Once I’m appointed to work, do I serve on every Election Day in the future?

A.  No.  Chief Judges and Judges of Election serve two-year terms beginning in odd-numbered years and ending in odd-numbered years.  Assistants, however, are appointed on a per-election basis, and past service neither guarantees reappointment nor obligates continued service.

Q. What if I get sick right before Election Day?

A. Should you feel unwell, your health is the first priority.  If you need to stay at home rather than working at your appointed precinct, please call our office immediately to let us know.  Earlier notice is better, so even if you think you might be well by Election Day, please make sure that you inform us so that we can plan for your possible absence.

Q.  My spouse and I both want to work.  Can we?

A.  By law, certain near relatives, including spouses, are not permitted to work in the same precinct.  In these situations, sometimes only one spouse will work during a given election, or one spouse may work at the couple’s home precinct while the other works in a nearby precinct.

Q.  Does it matter if I’m unaffiliated (or choose not to be registered with a political party)?

A. Due to the process by which appointments are made, those who are affiliated with one of the two major political parties have the earliest opportunity to be appointed, namely when the party chairs provide their lists of recommendations.  Especially for Judges of Election, political affiliation is a significant factor that is taken into consideration.  In instances where there are an insufficient number of workers from one party or the other, unaffiliated voters may be appointed to work as assistants in the polling places.

 
Q.  If I work outside my precinct, how do I vote?

A. There are several ways to vote in any election in New Hanover County.  You may choose to request an absentee ballot by mail by sending a signed, written request to our office.  You may also choose to utilize the One-Stop early voting option.  If you are unable to vote before the election, you may cast a regular ballot if you work in your home precinct or a provisional vote if you work out of precinct.  Provisional votes are researched and, if the Board finds that the voter is eligible, counted at Canvass, when election results become official.

Q. I sent in an application, but I wasn’t contacted.  What happened?

A. All applications received by our office are entered into our database.  However, due to the large numbers of applications we receive, it is impractical to contact each applicant directly upon receipt of an application.  Potential precinct officials are generally contacted only before elections to confirm availability or to notify them of an appointment.  If you think your application may have been misplaced, you may call the Board of Elections for more information.

Q.  How are those chosen to work contacted?

A. A formal notice of appointment is sent through the mail to the address under which the individual is registered to vote.  Closer to the election, however, replacements for individuals unable to work may be contacted to confirm availability by phone or email.  For this reason, it is important to keep your contact information up to date with our office.

Q. Can I be registered to vote in two places if I own property in both locations?

A. A person may only have one voter registration at a time.  A voter may register in the county in which they reside, using their home residence address.  It is the voter’s responsibility to determine which location is his or her residence if he or she spends an extended period living at a secondary address.

Q. How do I cancel a previous registration so that I can legally register in New Hanover County?

A. When you register to vote, you should provide information regarding your previous registration in the appropriate section of the form.  We will notify your previous county (or state) of residence of your new registration, allowing them to automatically cancel your old registration.

Q. If I am changing my address, do I have to re-register?

A. If your move is within the same county only, sending notification of the change of address bearing your name, date of birth, new address, and signature to the county Board of Elections with which you are already registered is sufficient.  However, if you have moved from one county to another, you will need to complete a new voter registration application.

Q. Can I register online?

A. Because we require a signature to process a voter registration, at this time the form may not be submitted electronically.  A form is available online for you to download and print, but it must be mailed or delivered to our office.

 
Q. After I register, how long will it take for me to receive a card?

A. Voters who register well in advance of an election often receive their cards within three or four weeks.  Voters who register immediately before an election will usually experience some delays in receiving their cards.  However, if the registration is submitted before the deadline, your registration will be processed for that election, regardless of whether or not you receive a card.  Voter registration records are locked 25 days before the election, and registrations submitted after this date (or postmarked after this date) will not be processed until after the election.  If you have questions regarding whether or not your registration has been processed, please call the Board of Elections.

Q. Do I need to present my voter registration card to vote?

A. No.  You must state your name and current address to vote if you are registered. The voter registration card is mailed to you for informational purposes, such as to let you know you are registered, your jurisdictional assignments, and the location of your polling place.

Q. Why am I not required to present ID when I vote?

A. It is unlawful for an election official to ask a voter for ID in NC unless the voter is flagged in the Voter Registration record to present ID.  The reason a voter would be flagged to present ID is if at the time the voter registered to vote, the voter did not provide (or incorrectly provided) a NC Drivers license number or last four digits of the voter’s social security number on the voter registration form, or neither number could be verified by the NC DMV or the Social Security Administration.  If the number provided by the voter is not verified, then the voter (applies to first-time voters, only) must present ID prior to voting.

Q. If I missed the registration deadline, what can I do?

A. If you are not already a registered voter in New Hanover County, you can register and vote at One-Stop.  Please visit the One-Stop page on this website for further information.  If you are already registered in New Hanover County but need to change information, you may choose to visit One-Stop, or you may choose to transfer your registration to your new precinct on Election Day.  Please be aware that transferring a registration on Election Day is a longer process and may require you to visit more than one polling place before your ballot can be cast.

Elected Officials

Q. How do I find which member of the NC House represents me?

A. Use the links provided to check your voter registration online.  Click the link labeled “My Districts.”  Your NC House district will be displayed.  A list of all elected officials representing New Hanover County is available on our website under “Elected Officials.”  The representative for your NC House district will be shown in the table.

Q. How do I contact elected officials?

A. Contact information for elected officials is often available through their political parties.  Visit nhcgop.com for Republican officials and newhanoverdems.org for Democratic officials. County officials may be contacted by visiting http://www.nhcgov.com.  Municipal officials may be reached by contacting the city or town government office.

Other Topics

Q. A candidate has not removed his or her signs from my street, even though the election is over.  How do I get the signs removed?

A. Signs are under the jurisdiction of the Zoning department, which in New Hanover County is a unit within the Planning and Inspections department.  Please contact Zoning for further information about sign removal.  If the signs are within a municipal jurisdiction, please contact the zoning department for the appropriate municipality.  The Board of Election has no authority regarding candidate’s signs and placement.

Q. How do I have a deceased family member removed from the registration lists?

A. Deceased voters are removed from the voter registration list monthly based upon a report issued from the NC Department of Health and Human Services.  The data for this report is supplied from death certifications received from the preceding month.  If the death certificate was filed outside New Hanover County, a near relative may notify the Board of Elections in writing, specifying the name and birth date of the deceased and the writer’s relationship to the deceased, and signed by the near relative.