Early voting in Fayetteville’s municipal elections begins Thursday, kicking off the fall 2023 election cycle that culminates in Nov. 7’s general election in Cumberland County.
Notable this year before you can even access your ballot: a new Voter ID law that requires most voters to provide an active, government-issued photo identification before voting. An April ruling by the N.C. Supreme Court — reversing its own 2018 decision — made the requirement law.
"The people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support voter identification and other efforts to promote greater integrity and confidence in our elections," state Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. wrote last spring.
CityView spoke with Angie Amaro, Cumberland’s elections director, about what to know about the fall elections cycle. A native of Florence, S.C., Amaro has spent most of my life in Fayetteville area. She’s a graduate of South View High School in Hope Mills and has worked in the board of elections office since 2002.
Let’s start by talking about Voter ID, since it’s new for this election cycle and is now state law. What do voters need to know about it?
All voters will be asked to show photo ID to vote. Most voters will simply show their driver’s license, but there are many other acceptable photo IDs. If a voter does not have an acceptable photo ID, they can get one for free from the Cumberland County Board of Elections. Visit www.ncsbe.gov for more information on acceptable forms of ID.
What’ll happen to those voters who show up to their polling place without any acceptable form of identification?
If they have an acceptable ID and they did not bring it with them to vote, they can go get the ID and return and vote — or they can vote a provisional ballot and bring that valid ID to the Board of Elections office by 5 p.m. on the day before canvass (Oct. 16 for the primary election, Nov. 16 for the general election).
Any other changes or new developments voters need to be aware of for this cycle?
Those with felony convictions must be completed with the court system before they are eligible to vote.
The county’s primary is Oct. 10 and the general election is Nov. 7. All the seats being contested are municipal seats. Give us an overview of what’ll be on the ballot in October, and what’ll be on the ballot in November.
The Oct. 10 primary ballots will include Fayetteville Mayor, City Council District 2 and City Council District 5.
November’s general election will include Fayetteville Mayor and all nine City Council Districts, plus the election of mayor or town commissioners or aldermen in the Town of Eastover, Eastover Sanitary District, Town of Hope Mills, Town of Falcon, Town of Godwin, Town of Hope Mills, Town of Linden, Town of Spring Lake, Town of Stedman and Town of Wade.
For new or infrequent voters…what’s the easiest way to find the proper polling place?
Go to www.ncsbe.gov, or contact our office at 910-678-7733.
Early voting starts Thursday, Sept. 21. What do we need to know about that, as well as about early “One Stop” voting?
Early voting and One Stop voting are the same — early voting is available Sept. 21 – Oct. 7; the only location for the primary is the Board of Elections Office, located at 227 Fountainhead Lane in Fayetteville. The hours of early voting are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 7, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Early/One Stop voting for the general election is Oct. 19 – Nov. 5.
And for those wanting to cast absentee ballots?
Visit our website at www.electionready.net, or call our office and we can mail out an absentee request form. The deadline to request an absentee ballot to be mailed for the primary is Oct. 3. If individuals are in a care facility they can request a Multipartisan Assistance Team to come out and assist with completing an absentee request form.
What’s your guidance for members of the military, particularly those serving overseas?
Visit www.fvap.gov for more information
With the increase of discord around elections the last couple of years, some voters fear intimidation at the polls. What should voters expect to experience when they go to the polls — and what definitely shouldn’t be a part of the voting experience?
Cumberland County has been lucky to not have any discord; voters will experience electioneers/campaigners outside the voting enclosure with literature on the candidate they are representing. They should expect to show ID, state their name, and current address. The elections this year are municipal elections and only those voters that reside within the city limits or town limits of the municipalities are eligible to vote in the 2023 elections. Intimidation should not be a part of the voting experience.
Outline for us what your workload will focus on between now and the primary…and how you’ll deal with the narrow window between that Oct. 10 primary and the Nov. 7 general election.
Making sure all eligible voters were properly registered before the Sept. 15 deadline, training our 500 precinct officials and one stop workers, continuing to recruit precinct officials, packing election supplies and testing voting equipment, holding absentee meetings. As we prepare for the Oct. 10 election we are also preparing for the Nov. 7 election.
Your department’s website is a great source of information. What kinds of information can voters find there?
Information on the new Voter ID, statistical information, past election results, absentee and early voting, elected officials listings and our precincts and polling sites.
We are working toward 2024 elections and need registered voters who would like to work election day to learn more about the voting process and fulfill their civic duty. We are in desperate need of Unaffiliated, Libertarian and Republican workers in all 75 of our voting precincts.
ON VOTER ID
Cumberland County Board of Elections website
Coming soon: CityView's 2023 candidate questionnaires
