Hi Duke Community Member!

About the November 6th election

The next “Election Day” is November 6th, but one stop early voting starts October 18th and runs until November 3rd.   Elections will be held to decide the next President and other partisan races (including N.C. Governor’s Race and N.C. Council of State) and nonpartisan races (including judicial elections).  For more information, check out “what’s on the ballot.”

At the one-stop early vote site, any Duke community members with Durham addresses (including all Duke students living on or near campus) will be able to register to vote and vote at the same time.

This site will be in the Old Trinity Room on West Campus (right by the Chik-fil-A).  

The following chart shows the times that the early vote site in the Old Trinity Room will be open:

 Frequently asked questions about voting at Duke

Q: What do I need to bring with me in order to vote at Duke’s one-stop early vote site?

A:  Many individuals do not need to present identification to vote.  It depends on whether you are a first-time voter, and whether you are registering to vote on-site.  

For most voters, no ID is required. If you are not a first time voter, or at the time of your initial voter registration, you provided your North Carolina driver license number or the last four digits of your social security number and that number was validated, you will not be required to show ID when you vote. Also, you are not required to show your voter card. However, if you are a first-time voter and you did not provide your North Carolina driver license or the last four digits of your social security number when you completed your voter registration application, or one or both of those numbers could not be validated, then you will need to provide ID the first time that you vote. If you are required to show ID, you must provide one the following:
A current and valid photo identification (DukeCard fulfills this requirement) or
A copy of one of the following documents that shows your name and address: a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document.

If you are registering to vote on site:

If you register to vote on-site, you will need to show proof of residence.  For Duke students living on campus, you will be able to print out a proof of residence in the Old Trinity Room that the registrar has provided to the Board of Elections.  For those who do not live on campus, a wide variety of documents can demonstrate proof of residence, including utility bills or payroll stubs — follow this link to see the complete list from the NC State Board of Elections.

Q: Is it OK for me to vote in two states?

No, if you have already voted by absentee or during early vote in the 2012 presidential election, you cannot vote in North Carolina.  Having voted in the 2012 primary elsewhere does not disqualify you from voting in North Carolina in the November general election.

Q: What if I’m abroad this semester, but still want to vote?  Or what if I want to vote in the state my parents live?  How would I do that?

Some students prefer to vote in the state where they are originally from; however, Duke students, regardless of their parent’s state of domicile are legally considered residents of the state of North Carolina and are eligible to vote in NC.  If you would like to vote in a state other than North Carolina, request an absentee ballot, or if you would like to vote in NC but are currently studying abroad or away, request an absentee ballot.  Steps for how to request absentee ballots are available online.  The deadlines vary from state to state.  Duke students studying abroad/away should make note of the N.C. Absentee ballot request deadline – October 30th.   To request an absentee ballot for North Carolina, follow the instructions at the N.C. Board of Elections website.

Q: I’m a Duke student and not from North Carolina originally.  Is it OK for me to vote in the North Carolina election?

Yes.  It is legally acceptable for you to do so.  Moreover, you pay local sales tax, and if you work on-campus, you pay state sales tax.  You will almost certainly be living in North Carolina for at least four years.

Q: How can I get involved with politics on campus?

Duke Democrats: Go to tinyurl.com/dukedems to join the listserv, or email David Winegar at david.winegar@duke.edu

Duke College Republicans: Email Taylor Imperiale at taylor.imperiale@duke.edu

Duke Political Union: Email Leah Yaffe at leah.yaffe@duke.edu

Duke Libertarians: Email Michael Elgart at michael.elgart@duke.edu

If you consider your group to be a political group, email dukethevote@gmail to have it included in this list.

Q: What if I want to vote on election day?

There is a one-stop early vote site on Duke’s campus, which closes November 3rd.  There is no election day polling location on Duke’s campus.  This means, if you want to vote on campus, you must vote during early voting (October 18th-November 3rd).  Additionally, you must vote during early voting if you are not yet registered to vote, but would like to register — on-site registration is available during early voting, but not during election day.

To vote on election day –please be mindful that you will have to arrange transportation off campus — consult the NC Board of Elections to determine your precinct.   Most Duke students vote at the W.I. Patterson Center or at Watts Elementary

Q: This information seems very student oriented.  What if I’m a Duke faculty member, or staff member?

If you reside in Durham County, you can still vote on Duke’s campus.  If you reside elsewhere, consult your county’s board of election for early vote locations, and the NC State Board of Elections to look up your election day voting site.

Best,

The Duke the Vote Team