Election Day: Where to vote on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, and when to expect results
Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, in an unprecedented election that is already breaking records for voter turnout.
As of Tuesday morning, 63.1% of eligible Dare County voters have already cast a ballot, while across the state, 62.2% of North Carolina residents have taken advantage of the early voting period as well.
In Dare County, the 19,043 votes recorded so far surpasses the total number of votes in the 2016 general election, where Dare County cast 16,674 ballots through the end of Election Day.
Hyde County, which also hosted two days of early voting on Ocracoke Island in October, had a less vigorous early turnout, with 39.1% of residents taking advantage of early voting and mail-in absentee ballots, for a total of 1,241 ballots cast so far.
Both Dare and Hyde counties announced that election results will be announced as soon as possible after polls close on November 3, with Dare County stating a final count may take longer than previous election years.
“Dare County voters can expect unofficial voting totals for this county to be available on Election Day night or in the wee hours of the morning,” said Dare County Board of Elections Chairman Sandy Semans Ross.
Where to Vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3
On Election Day, the polls are open in both Hyde and Dare counties from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Registered voters can cast their ballot at their precinct’s polling place, and the public can use the Voter Lookup Tool to find their polling place, sample ballots, and more.
Election Day voting locales for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands are listed below:
Avon – Avon Fire Station
40159 Harbor Road, Avon, NC 27915
Buxton – Cape Hatteras Secondary School – Auditorium
48576 NC Hwy. 12, Buxton, NC 27920
Tri-villages – Community Building Rodanthe
23646 NC Hwy 12,Rodanthe, NC 27969
Frisco – Cape Hatteras Secondary School – Auditorium
48576 NC Highway 12, Buxton, NC 27920
Hatteras – Hatteras Civic Center
56658 NC Highway 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Ocracoke – Volunteer Fire Dept.
822 Irvin Garrish Hwy
Ocracoke, NC 27960
Per guidelines released in October by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), North Carolina residents who plan to vote in-person should wear a face mask and keep it on throughout the voting process, stay 6 feet apart from others while at the polling location, and wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after voting.
When to Expect Statewide Results
The information below is a rough timeline of the expected reporting of unofficial results on election night, November 3, 2020. These times are approximate and based on past elections. Any significant extension of voting hours at any location in the state will affect these times. Reporting times will vary by county.
- 7:30 p.m.: polls close**
- 7:30 p.m. ~ 8:30 p.m.: early votes are reported
- One-stop votes and absentee by-mail votes that have been approved by a county board of elections (CBE) are reported in the Media File and on the ER Dashboard
- Data refresh every 5~10 minutes
- 7:30 p.m. ~9:30 p.m.: precinct officials hand-deliver results to CBEs
- 8:30 p.m. ~1:00 a.m.: precinct results are reported
- Results appear in the Media File and on the ER Dashboard
- Data refresh every 5~10 minutes
- After Election Night
- Absentee ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the county board of elections by the return deadline, as well as provisional votes, will be added to the results as they are approved by CBEs during the canvass period after Election Night.
** Under state law, the State Board, by a majority vote, may extend voting hours at a polling place if polls are delayed in opening for more than 15 minutes or are interrupted for more than 15 minutes after opening. The State Board may extend the closing time by an equal number of minutes. (N.C.G.S. § 163-166.01)
If hours are extended by at least 15 minutes…
- Reporting is then delayed by the number of minutes polling place was extended
- Even if only one has precinct hours extended, all reporting statewide is delayed
3:00 P.M. UPDATE:
The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted Tuesday to extend voting at four precincts after each polling site opened late. North Carolina has 2,660 Election Day polling places.
In Cabarrus County, voting will be extended by 17 minutes to 7:47 p.m. at the First Missionary Baptist Church location at 59 Chestnut Drive SW, Concord, N.C. 28025.
In Guilford County, voting will be extended by 34 minutes to 8:04 p.m. at the Bluford Elementary School, located at 1901 Tuscaloosa St., Greensboro, N.C. 27401.
Two precincts ALSO opened late in Sampson County. Voting will be extended 45 minutes to 8:15 p.m. at the Plainview Fire Station precinct, located at 5041 Plain View Hwy, Dunn, N.C. 28334. Also in Sampson County, voting will be extended 24 minutes to 7:54 p.m. at the Northeast Clinton (Sampson County Adult Daycare) precinct, located at 210 Fisher Drive, Clinton, N.C. 28328.
