Perhaps some voters still want to vote but avoid voting in person. Or maybe they want a backup plan. 2000+ people a day are getting positive Covid-19 tests in NC. If you request a mail ballot you can always bail out and vote in person if you don’t return it.
A registered voter can request a ballot online today or tomorrow online. If the voter has a active status (status is shown if you look up the voter online) then a near relative or legal guardian can request the ballot.
The ballot will probably arrive by or before election day, but it is a bit iffy. You can track the ballot online to see when it was mailed (northcarolina.ballottrax.net/...).
If the ballot is received before Monday then you can probably mail it from your own mailbox on Monday before the post-person picks up your mail. You can use Ballottrax to see when it was checked in a the post office. If is is checked in on or before Election Day and arrives at the election office before the late-arrival deadline (see below) then it will be counted, it will not need a legible date on the postmark. It will probably be checked before you wake up Tuesday morning (based on my ballot). You can still go vote on Election Day, at least vote a provisional ballot, or call the election office and get your mail ballot voided before you vote in person.
Also, you (or a near relative or legal guardian) can take it to a post office counter on Election Day.
Finally, the mailed ballot has to arrive at the election office before the deadline. The deadline is November 12, 9 days after Election Day.
The last day for ballot drop-off at an early polling place is next Saturday. You cannot drop it off at the Election Day polling place, but you can drop it off at your county elections office before 5 PM on Election Day. A near relative or legal guardian can drop off your ballot for you.
A near relative is: your spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild.
Overall, not very reassuring. But you can always change your mind after requesting a ballot and vote in person, up till when the polls close on Election Day.
Even if Ballotrax shows that your ballot was received, keep tracking it till is shows that it was “Accepted” even after Election Day. If you made certain specific mistakes, it may still possible to “heal” your mailed ballot after election day and ensure that it is cast, but you have to be notified and take action. Watch your email and text for instructions or call the election office if your ballot is not approved before the late-arrival deadline.
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