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 Jackson County Board of Elections may discuss the county’s Early Voting hours and locations at their next meeting, coming up on Tuesday, June 16, at 1 p.m.
Due to COVID-19, we would only ask that you attend the meeting to make public comment if you feel comfortable doing so and have personal protective equipment to keep you safe. The meeting will be held at the Jackson Co. BOE building (876 Skyland Dr., Sylva, NC). If you’d prefer to join by phone, you call the BOE office number to patched through to the meeting by phone at (828) 586-7538.
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:
- a convenient voting location for young and 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
- 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 Jackson County Board of Elections to confirm the meeting at (828) 586-7538.
Please let us know below that you’ll participate in the June 16 Jackson County Board of Elections meeting.