Requirements
You may register to vote in Pitt County if you are:
- A citizen of the United States
- A person 18 years of age or older by general election day
- A legal resident of Pitt County and North Carolina for 30 days by the date of the next election
- A non-felon or a felon whose citizenship rights have been restored
You need to register, change your address or re-register only if you:
- Are not registered to vote in Pitt County
- Wish to change your party affiliation
- Have changed your name
- Have moved within Pitt County
- Failed to respond to a confirmation mailing sent by the county board of elections and have not voted in two successive federal elections or made contact with the elections office since the date of notice.
Party Affiliation
When you register, you will be asked to declare your party affiliation. You may register in either of the following ways:
- Democrat
- Republican
- Libertarian
- Unaffiliated
Party affiliation determines the political primary in which a voter is eligible to vote. Currently, voters registered as Unaffiliated may choose to vote for Democratic, Republican, or Libertarian candidates in partisan primaries. Voters may change party affiliation under signature by mail or at any registration location within the registration deadline, 25 days prior to Election Day. Candidates must make any political party changes at least 90 days prior to the date on which they file for office. Seventeen year olds that will be 18 by the next general election are eligible to vote only for partisan primary candidates. In general elections, voters may vote for any candidate within their assigned districts regardless of party affiliation.
IMPORTANT - To vote without delay, a voter must ensure a signed change of address form is received by the elections office at least 25 days prior to election day. If you move within Pitt County and fail to file a change of address, on Election Day you will be required to vote according to statutory unreported move procedures.
Absentee Voting
WHO MAY VOTE ABSENTEE?
Any qualified voter of Pitt County may vote by absentee ballot in a statewide primary, general, or special election on constitutional amendments, referenda or bond proposals.
NO-EXCUSE
No-excuse absentee voting is now permitted for all elections. This includes primaries as well as general elections, in addition to traditional mail-in absentee and one-stop voting procedures.
BY MAIL
You may request an absentee ballot from the Elections Office in person at 1717 W. 5th St. or by signed request to P.O. Box 56, Greenville, N.C. 27835. A signed request may be submitted 50 days prior to, but not later than 5:00 PM the Tuesday before election day. Each voter must SIGN the written request before an official "Absentee Application" and ballot(s) can be simultaneously mailed to the voter.
NEAR RELATIVE
A near relative (spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild) may appear at the Elections Office 50 days prior to, but not later than 5:00 PM the Tuesday before election day and complete an "Absentee Application" for any eligible voter. After the application is processed and approved by the Board of Elections, ballot(s) will be mailed directly to the voter.
SICK/DISABLED
A voter in this category may apply or have a near relative apply for an absentee ballot up to 5:00 PM on the day before the election.
ONE-STOP
The "ONE-STOP" absentee process runs from the third Thursday before the election until 1:00 PM on the Saturday before the election. At a central location designated by the Board of Elections, voters will be allowed to complete an "Absentee Application" receive the ballot(s) and cast their vote early.
Registration Locations
You may register to vote or change your address, name, or party, by submitting a signed mail-in registration form available at the following locations:
- Elections Office
1717 W. 5th St.
Greenville, NC 27858
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM - Public Libraries
- Division of Motor Vehicles
- Town Halls
- Various Public Agencies
Call 902-3300 for other locations and assistance with voter registration drives. Ask about VOTER OUTREACH Programs
Voter Information
You will be assigned to a voting precinct when registering or changing your address. The Board of Elections will mail to you a "Voter Card" listing your precinct, voting place, districts and other election information.
PRIMARIES AND GENERAL ELECTIONS
In a primary, you NOMINATE party candidates for these offices to appear on the general election ballot:
- President
- U.S. House of Representatives (Congress)
- Governor, judicial officers and other state officials
- N.C. Senate and House of Representatives
- County Officials
In the general election, you ELECT these officials:
- U.S. House of Representatives (Congress)
- Judicial officers and other state officials
- N.C. Senate and House of Representatives
- County Officials
Pitt County School Board Members are elected on primary day and qualified at the first meeting in December.
In the general election of a presidential year and every four years thereafter, you also ELECT:
- President and Vice President
- Governor, judicial officers and other state officials:
- Lt. Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- State Auditor
- State Treasurer
- Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Commissioner of Labor
- Commissioner of Insurance
- Commissioner of Agriculture
U.S. Senators serve six-year terms. There will be one up for re-election in 2010.
Pitt County Municipal elections are nonpartisan and held in odd numbered years.
AT THE VOTING PLACE
On entering the voting place, you must state your name and address to election officials. In primaries, you must also state your political party affiliation. If you are properly registered, you are then qualified to vote.
Straight party ticket allows the voter to vote for all candidates of one political party.
In a Presidential election year, your vote for President is NOT included in a "straight party" ticket vote on the machine. You MUST vote separately for President.
Presidential candidates, nonpartisan contests, constitutional amendments and bond referenda are not part of the "straight party" ticket.
In general elections, "split ticket" voting allows the voter an opportunity to choose candidates of another party for a particular office instead of a candidate that has been marked by the straight party ticket.
Instructions are provided for "straight party" and "split ticket" voting on machine ballots.
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