Elections
The Catawba County Board of Elections
is committed to efficiently conducting fair, honest, and impartial elections so that all qualified Catawba County citizens may exercise their right to vote.
The office conducts local elections, operates voting sites, maintains voter registration lists and handles numerous aspects of election administration. The Catawba County Board of Elections works in conjunction with the State Board of Elections office to ensure that elections are conducted lawfully and fairly.
ABSENTEE MAIL-IN BALLOT REQUESTS
To request an absentee mail-in ballot, submit a completed Absentee Request Form to your county Board of Elections office.
The voter, or a near-relative, may make the request. The request must include the voter's valid NC Drivers License number, or last four digits of their social security number. Note: Military and Overseas voters should request via fvap.gov—these cannot be requested by near relative.
Requests for the November 2020 election may be sent in now. Mailed ballots will be issued starting on September 4th, 2020.
If you are not registered in the county, you must also include a completed Voter Registration Form.
Catawba County residents may mail these to: Board of Elections, PO Box 132, Newton, NC 28658
(multiple requests may be enclosed in the same envelope)
ONLINE REGISTRATION SERVICE
Online registration applications are available for NCDMV customers for free. This service is offered through a partnership between the NC Division of Motor Vehicles and the NC State Board of Elections.
On this site, you will be able to:
- Register to vote (Note: if you move to a new county, you must re-register)
- Update physical address
- Update mailing address
- Update party affiliation
DEADLINE: Registration applications submitted less than 25 days before an election will not be processed until after the election.
[Current Catawba County deadline for all registration applications: 5pm, Oct 9, 2020]
Go To NCDMV online voter registration application
If you are not an NCDMV customer, you may:
- download and print a Voter Registration Form (PDF)
- pick up a pre-printed paper form at Public Libraries and at the Board of Elections office.
Catawba County residents may mail these to: Board of Elections, PO Box 132, Newton, NC 28658
(multiple registrations may be enclosed in the same envelope)
2020 Elections
Federal, State, Judicial, County, and County School Board Elections
Candidates for Catawba County School Board, | |
Choose the Election Year to view campaign finance documents for candidates |
Printable 2020 Elections Calendar
Precinct Reassignments
Changes have been made to the voting precincts of Catawba County listed below in order to reduce the size of large precincts and to lessen the distance residents must travel to a polling location.
| Precinct (click for map) | Description of Changes | # of Voters Reassigned |
|---|---|---|
| 13 - Greenmont | Now in Pct 26: properties between US 321 and Old Lenoir Rd from Tailored Industries north to the 321 bridge | 0 |
| 17 - Long View N | Now in Pct 26: properties north of Clement Blvd | 0 |
| 25 - North Newton | Added properties from Pct 40 on the odd-numbered side of St. Pauls Church Rd that were in Newton City limits | - |
| 26 - Oakland Heights | Added properties from Pcts 13 & 17 to bring Resurrection International Church (the polling location for Pct 26) into the Precinct 26 boundary | - |
| 29 - St Stephens 2 | Added properties from Pct 33 | - |
| 33 - Springs | Now in Pct 29: [Lake Hickory Country Club area] | 1,601 |
| 34 - Startown | Now in Pct 35: even-numbered properties along Sandy Ford Rd (and all roads and subdivisions north), Odd-numbered Startown Rd residents north of Sandy Ford Rd | 483 |
| 35 - Sweetwater | Added properties from Pcts 34 and 40 | - |
| 40 - West Newton | Now in Pct 35: even-numbered properties along Settlemyre Bridge Rd (from the bridge to Startown Rd), Startown Rd residents north of Settlemyre Bridge Rd, all areas north including properties accessed via Valleyview Drive, and the Fairgrove Ch Rd area south of US 70 | 58 |
Voters affected by the change were mailed voter registration cards on Friday, April 17, 2020. If voting on Election Day (Nov 3, 2020), registered voters are required to vote at their assigned polling location. If voting early, Catawba County voters may continue to choose to any of the open One-Stop Early Voting locations in the county.
Residents living at properties described above have been reassigned to different precincts in order to reduce the number of voters at their previous polling location and to lessen their drive to their election-day polling site.
- Precinct 33-Springs had over 6,000 voters; 1,601 are now in Pct 29 and live closer to their new election-day polling location. 33's voting population is down to 4,321 (Sherrill's Ford Pct 31 now holds the top spot with 4,561 voters).
- Residents living in the northern areas of Pcts 40-W Newton and 34-Startown have been combined into Pct 29-Sweetwater; their polling location is now closer.
CANDIDATE FILING
Candidate Filing for County School Board and Soil and Water begins in June. It is helpful to organize your Campaign Committe in advance of filing. Anyone interested in running for office should contact the Board of Election office at 828-464-2424 for information on setting up a campaign committee.
Catawba County School Board - 3 Seats
- Filing for Catawba County School Board Begins - Mon, June 1, 2020, noon
- Filing for Catawba County School Board Ends - Mon, July 6, 2020, noon (Note: BOE office will be closed Friday, Jul 3)
Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors - 1 Seat
- Filing for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors Begins - Mon, June 8, 2020, noon
- Filing for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors Ends - Mon, July 6, 2020, noon (Note: BOE office will be closed Friday, Jul 3)
Note: Dates are subject to change
Any person who has filed a notice of candidacy for an office has the right to withdraw it at any time prior to the close of business on the third business day prior to the date on which the right to file for that office expires. The deadline for withdrawal of notice of candidacy for the Primary filing period is Tuesday, June 30, 2020. (Note that by statute, filing ends July 3rd; however, the office is closed that day in celebration of Independence Day.)
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Candidates in Nov 3rd General - Candidates for Catawba County School Board and Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor will be added after filing concludes on July 6th.
- Delivery Begins for Absentee-by-Mail Ballots - Friday, Sep 4, 2020 [Requests may be submitted now]
- Voter Registration Deadline ["Books Close"] - Friday, Oct 9, 2020, 5PM (hand-delivered or postmarked) [Voters must be registered by this date to vote on Election Day]
- One-Stop Early Voting Begins - Thursday, Oct 15, 2020 [Residents not registered to vote may do so and vote ONLY at a One-Stop location with proof of residency]
- One-Stop Early Voting Ends - Satruday, Oct 31, 2020, 3PM
- Absentee-by-Mail Ballot Requests End - Tuesday, Oct 27, 2020, 5PM [Request must be in the office]
- Presidential Election - Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020, 6:30AM - 7:30PM
Important Update on Photo ID
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If you received a Voter Card (or other type of mail from us) for someone that does not live at that address, please write on the mailing: "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS," and put a line through the barcode if there is one below the address. Place back in your mailbox for the postal service to return to us.
No postage is necessary.
You may later recieve another card from us for this person; please return it, also. Once we receive two returned voter cards, the voter's status will be either "denied" or "inactive" (if inactive, they will have to verbally verify their address if they come to vote). By law, in order for us to remove the voter from your address, we need their signature, or notification from another county or state that they have registered to vote elsewhere. A person may remove themselves by completing a Request to Cancel Voter Registration.
Is the person deceased? We need a signed Notice of Deceased Voter form completed by a near relative in order to remove their name.
Thank you for helping us keep the registration rolls accurate.
Frequently Used Forms
Voter Registration Form NEW voters to the county UPDATES may be Emailed or Faxed Deadline: 5pm, Oct 9, 2020 | NCDMV customers may Deadline: 5pm, Oct 9, 2020 Applications submitted after | Absentee-by-Mail Request Form Mail to: PO Box 132 Deadline: 5pm, Oct 27, 2020 |