Counties have been asked to provide their 2020 General Election Early Voting plans to the N.C. State Board of Elections in July.
As a result, the Forsyth County Board of Elections may discuss the county’s Early Voting hours and locations at their next meeting, coming up on Thursday, June 18, at 5 p.m. Due to COVID-19, the meeting will be held virtually and the public will be allowed to listen in and make comments. Here’s how to connect on Thursday: Telephone Access: Phone number: (712) 770-4694 Access code: 814755
Given the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, without a robust Early Voting plan, lines at the polls could be longer than usual, deterring voter participation and potentially endangering voters’ health. Strong Early Voting plans, with weekend voting hours and sites that work for your community, are the key to making sure this year’s elections run more smoothly.
During the public comment period, take the time to remind the board of elections that you’d like to see:
- convenient voting locations for young & student voters in the surrounding community;
- good satellite voting locations that can serve underrepresented voters, including communities of color;
- robust weekend hours over the 17-day period to help working voters and curb long lines, including multiple Saturdays and a Sunday; and
- where possible, larger voting centers that will allow voters and poll workers to safely distance.
To help, we’ve put together a handy Early Voting Advocacy Toolkit and Early Voting Advocacy Report Form so that you can get even more valuable information on how to advocate for good voting options and let us know how the meeting went. Call the Forsyth County Board of Elections to confirm the meeting (or if you have trouble connecting to the meeting phone line) at 336-703-2800.
Please let us know below that you’ll attend the June 18 Forsyth County Board of Elections meeting.