Frequently Asked Questions
- Absentee By Mail Voting
- Voter Registration
- Elections and Voting
- Address Changes
- Early Voting Sites
- Redistricting
- Voter ID
Voter Registration
How do I register to vote or update my registration information?
Click the button below to complete a voter registration application. Print and sign the form, then mail it to the Board of Elections office. Registered voters may use the form to update their name, address and party. Registered voters may also update their registration information by completing the back of their voter card and mailing it to the Board of Elections office.
- Completed registration forms can be submitted in the following ways:
- E-mail: voter@transylvaniaelections.org
- Mail: Transylvania County Board of Elections
- P.O. Box 868
- Brevard, NC 28712
When is the deadline to register to vote in an election?
If mailed, the registration form must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election. If hand-delivered, faxed, or e-mailed, the registration form must be received at the Board of Elections office by 5:00 p.m. at least 25 days prior to the election.
Do I need to bring my voter card to the polling place when I vote?
No, you do not need your voter registration card to vote.
How do I request the cancellation of a deceased voter's registration?
The Board of Elections removes voters listed on an official list of deceased persons sent by the state each month. In addition, a near relative may submit a written request to remove the voter registration of a deceased voter or by using the Notice of Deceased Voter form.
What are the eligibility requirements for registering to vote in Transylvania County?
- You must be a United States citizen.
- You must be a resident of Transylvania County, North Carolina, for 30 days before the election in which you intend to vote.
- You must be 18 by Election Day
- You must not vote in any other county or state election after submitting a voter registration application in Transylvania County. If registered elsewhere, you understand that you are cancelling that registration upon becoming registered to vote in Transylvania County.
- You have not been convicted of a felony, or if convicted of a felony, you have completed your sentence, including any probation or parole. (Citizenship and voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of the sentence, but you must re-register. No special document is needed.)
Elections and Voting
When are the polls open?
On Election Day, the polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
How do I know if my voter registration is up to date?
Click the "Voter Lookup" button to confirm the status of your voter registration, find your voting location, and view a sample ballot for the upcoming election. Online voter information is generally updated weekly. You may also call the Transylvania County Board of Elections office at 828-884-3114.
In addition, the Board of Elections will send you a new voter registration card in the mail when you...
- register to vote
- change your address
- change your party affiliation
- are assigned to a new precinct
- are assigned to a new polling place.
Your voting location (polling place) is printed on the card. You are assigned a polling place based on the precinct where you live.
If you do not know where to vote, or if you have moved from the residence address we have on file, don't wait until Election Day! You may experience a delay in voting if your residence address is not up to date or if we have sent mail to your voter registration address that was returned to us by the Postal Service.
Where can I find driving directions to my voting place?
View driving directions to your assigned voting place on our Polling Places page.
Where can I view a sample ballot?
Sample ballots are released as soon as they are available for the current election.
If I go to the wrong polling place may I vote there anyway?
On Election Day, you vote in your assigned precinct in order to make sure you receive a ballot that contains all races for which you are eligible to vote. If you do not vote in your correct precinct on Election Day, you must vote a provisional ballot. If you think you may not make it to your precinct on Election Day, please consider voting early at an early voting site or absentee by mail.
What if I am unable to enter the polling place because of age or physical disability?
You may request an absentee ballot. See below for more information on absentee voting.
If you prefer to vote on Election Day or at an early voting site but are unable to enter the facility, you may vote outside the voting location in your car. This procedure is called "curbside voting." Look for the curbside voting sign near the entrance to the voting place and park there. A precinct election official will assist you in verifying your registration information and bringing you a ballot. If you cannot locate a precinct official in the parking lot, please ask someone to enter the voting place and inform the election officials that you need assistance.
I plan to bring a voter to vote curbside. May I sit in the car and vote curbside, too?
The same rules apply to both the driver and passengers. All persons wishing to vote curbside must sign an affidavit stating they cannot enter the polling place due to age or physical disability.
I am registered unaffiliated. May I vote in a primary election?
Party affiliation determines the primary in which a voter is eligible to vote. If you do not declare a party, you will be registered as Unaffiliated. If you are an Unaffiliated voter, you may choose to vote in the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian or nonpartisan (Judicial) Primary. You may choose only one party's primary. Participating in one of the partisan primaries will not affect your Unaffiliated status.
What is a municipal election?
A municipal election in Transylvania County is an election held in odd-numbered years to elect members of a municipality's governing body. There are 2 municipalities whose boundaries lie within Transylvania County: The city of Brevard, and the town of Rosman. For more information on the governing bodies of these municipalities, visit the City of Brevard and Town of Rosman government websites.
Address Changes
I moved fewer than 30 days before Election Day, and I don’t know where to vote.
If you moved fewer than 30 days before the date of the election, you must vote at your old precinct or at an early voting location. Click on the "Voter Info" button to view your polling place.
I moved 30 days or more before Election Day, and I don’t know where to vote.
If you updated your address with the Board of Elections, you may go to your new polling place. Click on the "Voter Lookup" button to find your polling place.
If you did not update your address with the Board of Elections, the easiest and most convenient way to vote is at an early voting location. You may vote on Election Day, but you may be required to vote a provisional ballot.
Absentee by Mail
Can any registered Transylvania County Voter vote Absentee by Mail?
Any registered voter in Transylvania County may request an absentee ballot or may vote at an early voting site. No excuse is needed.
How do I request an absentee ballot?
All requests for absentee ballots MUST be made in writing using the approved form. Click the Absentee by Mail button to learn more and view the form.
How do I turn in my completed absentee ballot request form?
- Mail to:
- Transylvania County Board of Elections
- P.O. Box 868
- Brevard, NC 28712
- Hand deliver to:
- Transylvania County Board of Elections
- 150 S. Gaston St. - Suite A
- Brevard, NC 28712
- OR SUBMIT ONLINE: Click here
May someone request an absentee ballot for me?
A voter’s near relative may request an absentee ballot for the voter. In lieu of the voter’s signature, the request must include the requester’s signature, address, daytime phone number, and relationship to the voter.
Do I have to request an absentee ballot for each election?
Yes; however, if you are requesting an absentee ballot for a primary, you may simultaneously request that a General Election absentee ballot be sent to you, as well. The absentee ballots will be mailed separately at the appropriate time.
On the ballot return envelope, you will have the opportunity to request a ballot for the 2nd Primary if you are eligible.
When is the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot?
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before an election.
When is the deadline for returning an absentee ballot?
The absentee ballot must be received by the Board of Elections office no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the statewide primary or general election or county bond elections. Absentee by mail ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Board of Elections office by the Friday after the election will be accepted as timely.
What may a person in possession of a Power of Attorney do for an absentee voter?
A person in possession of a Power of Attorney for an individual is not permitted to apply for voter registration, to vote in person, or to vote by absentee ballot for the individual.
What is the status of my absentee ballot request?
Visit our Absentee Voting page to learn the status of your absentee request.
May another person return my absentee ballot for me?
Yes, if that person is your spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, or legal guardian, they may return it to the Transylvania County Board of Elections Office.
May two people return their ballots in the same envelope?
No. The returned ballot envelope is specific to each voter and must contain that voter’s ballot.
May I hand-deliver my voted absentee ballot to the Board of Elections office?
Yes. Your voted absentee ballot must be in the Transylvania County Board of Elections Office by 5 p.m. on Election Day.
May I hand-deliver my voted absentee ballot to the polls on Election Day?
No. The deadline to return your voted absentee ballot is at 5 p.m. on Election Day.
May I mail my ballot to the Transylvania County Board of Elections on Election Day?
Yes. Please make sure you take it to the post office and have them post mark it in front of you.
May I vote absentee on Election Day?
No. You must vote in your precinct on Election Day.
When will my absentee ballot be counted?
The mail-in absentee ballots are counted at 2 p.m. on Election Day, but the results are not posted until 7:30 p.m., after the closing of the polls on Election Day.
I heard that if I vote absentee by mail, my vote may not get counted. Is that true?
NO. Your vote will be counted on Election Day along with the ballots cast in the precincts.
Where can I learn more about absentee voting for military and overseas voters?
Visit voting information for military and overseas voters at these websites:
Early Voting Sites
Where can I find the locations of the early voting sites for upcoming elections?
Early voting sites are approved by the Board 2–4 months prior to an election. When the early voting schedule for the upcoming election is finalized, information will be posted at on the early voting page.
Who may vote at an early voting site?
Any eligible Transylvania County voter may vote at any Transylvania County early voting site. All ballot styles are available at every early voting site, so you will receive the same ballot you would receive if you went to your assigned polling place on Election Day.
I heard that if I vote absentee by mail or at an early voting site, then my vote may not get counted. Is that true?
NO. Your vote will be counted on Election Day along with the ballots cast in the precinct.
May I change my party affiliation at an early voting site?
No. Registered voters must submit changes to party affiliation by the registration deadline (25 days before Election Day). Name or address changes can be processed at early voting sites.
Redistricting
The NC General Assembly based on new census data has redrawn and approved new legislative districts in North Carolina. What districts are we in?
Previously Transylvania County was in NC Senate District 48 and NC House District 113. Currently, Transylvania County resides in NC Senate District 50 and NC House District 119. Click on more info to see maps and further information.
Voter ID
Do I have to have photo ID?
Voters will be required to show photo ID in 2023 and moving forward.
On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed an injunction against implementation of photo ID legislation. As a result, photo ID laws enacted in 2018 and 2019 will be implemented moving forward, starting with the municipal elections in September, October, and November 2023. A separate federal case challenging the same laws is pending, but no injunction against the laws exists in that case.
