The North Carolina Democratic Party requested the State Board of Elections extend early voting hours for the NC-09 and NC-03 special elections in counties where voting will be impacted by Hurricane Dorian. Initially, the party requested extending early voting to Saturday, Sunday and/or Monday in Robeson County to “offset the early voting time lost” due to the storm. As more county boards and early voting sites closed across the state, the party subsequently requested that those impacted counties receive the same consideration. Read the full letter online here.

“Voters impacted by Hurricane Dorian deserve the same opportunities to have their voices heard as people in counties who are spared the worst of the storm’s impact,” NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin said. “Extending early voting hours in affected counties will ensure that every person’s vote will be counted regardless of where they live, and we hope the State Board of Elections takes the necessary steps to ensure that voters are not disadvantaged simply for living in the path of the storm.”

In NC-03, three counties are under mandatory evacuation and five more are under voluntary evacuation. Across NC-03 and NC-09, 20 counties are scheduled to close early vote sites over the coming days. With conditions worsening toward the end of the week, extending early voting will help ensure North Carolinians have the opportunity to make their voices heard in the special elections while staying safe from the storm.

Closures and evacuations across the state include…

•Beaufort (NC-03): Early voting closed at noon Thursday, through Friday.

•Bladen (NC-09): Early voting sites closed Thursday and Friday.

•Carteret (NC-03): Early voting sites closed through Friday.

•Chowan (NC-03): Early voting sites closed at noon Thursday, through Friday.

•Craven (NC-03): Early voting closed Thursday and Friday.

•Cumberland (NC-09): Early voting available until 1pm Thursday at County Board of Elections only.

•Currituck (NC-03): Under mandatory evacuation. Early voting closed at noon Thursday, through Friday.

•Dare (NC-03): Under mandatory evacuation. Early voting sites closed through Friday.

•Greene (NC-03): Early voting closed Thursday and Friday.

•Hyde (NC-03): Under mandatory evacuation. Early voting sites closed through Friday.

•Jones (NC-03): Early voting sites closed Thursday and Friday.

•Lenoir (NC-03): Early voting sites closed Thursday and Friday.

•Onslow (NC-03): Early voting sites closed Thursday and Friday.

•Pamlico (NC-03): Early voting sites closed Thursday and Friday.

•Pasquotank (NC-03): Early voting until 5pm at Thursday at County Board of Elections only. Early vote sites closed Friday. 

•Perquimans (NC-03): Early voting until 5pm Thursday at County Board of Elections only. Early vote sites closed Friday.

•Pitt (NC-03): Early voting sites closed through Friday.

•Robeson (NC-09): Early voting sites closed Thursday.

•Scotland (NC-09): Early voting sites closed Thursday.

•Tyrrell (NC-03): Early voting until 5pm Thursday at County Board of Elections only. Early vote sites closed Friday.