Dramatically Higher Mail-In Voting Expected In Iredell County

IREDELL COUNTY — Community concerns about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are expected to dramatically increase demand for mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election, according to Iredell County Board of Elections.

State election officials anticipate that about 40 percent of North Carolina voters in the Nov. 3 election will cast votes through mail-in ballots, Becky Galliher, director of Iredell County Board of Elections, told Patch.

"We can handle it, and it's something we can control with more staffing," she said.

In the 2016 presidential election, more than 82,000 votes were cast in Iredell County, representing about a 71 percent voter turnout, ICBOE senior election specialist Susie Jordan said.

Of the total 82,963 votes cast in the 2016 election in Iredell County:

• 31,586, or 38 percent, were cast in-person on election day
• 4,256, or about 5 percent, were absentee mail-in ballots
• 46,837, or about 56 percent, were cast during One-stop early voting
• 284, or less than one percent, were cast as provisional ballots

High turnout is also expected in the November election.

"For a presidential election, it's always going to be higher than any other elections," Jordan said, adding that county election officials are already starting to see interest in mail-in ballots.

The deadline for requesting mail-in ballots is no later than Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 5 p.m., however Galliher cautioned against waiting until then due to the anticipated increase in demand.

The election board is current accepting applications for mail-in ballots, and entering the requests into their system, which ensure ballots will be mailed as soon as they're ready, Galliher said.

"I would recommend that if that's the way someone wants to vote, do not wait. The sooner the better," she said.

How To Request A Mail-In Ballot

• Forms requesting a mail-in ballot are available online.
• Forms must be signed by the voter and may be returned by the voter, a near relative of the voter or a verifiable legal guardian.
• Forms may be mailed to the Iredell County Board of Elections, 203 Stockton Street, Statesville, NC 28677
• Voters may call the Board of Elections at 704-878-3140 for additional information.