Union County voters can cast early ballots starting Thursday, Oct. 15, at any of nine sites across the county, including three in the Waxhaws area.

Early voting runs through Saturday, Oct. 31, when polls close at 3 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. WBTV reported the statewide early voting timeline on Monday, Oct. 12.

Waxhaws-area sites

Three of the nine locations sit in or near Waxhaw and Wesley Chapel:

  • Waxhaw Recreation Barn (Community Room, Building A), 5412 Waxhaw-Marvin Road
  • Wesley Chapel VFD Station 41, 315 Waxhaw-Indian Trail Road South
  • Wesley Chapel VFD Station 42, 8821 New Town Road

Six additional sites are spread across Monroe, Indian Trail and Marshville. During early voting, registered voters may vote at any site regardless of their assigned Election Day precinct.

Hours

Weekday hours run 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. No sites are open on Sundays.

Same-day registration

Voters who missed the registration deadline can still register and vote at the same time during the early voting period. Same-day registration is not available on Election Day.

To register on-site, a voter must have lived in the county at least 30 days before Election Day and must bring proof of residence. Acceptable documents include a North Carolina driver's license, a government-issued photo ID, a utility bill, a bank statement, a payroll stub or another government document showing the voter's name and current address, according to the Union County Board of Elections.

What's on the ballot

Beyond federal and state races, Union County voters face a local referendum on a $200 million General Obligation bond to build a new roughly 500-bed detention center. The Union County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved placing the question on the ballot at its July 20 meeting.

If voters approve the bond, the property tax rate could rise by an estimated 3.11 cents per $100 of assessed value. For a home valued at $400,000, that works out to roughly $124.40 more per year.

Board Chair Brian Helms said in a July county press release, "It's not a question of whether Union County needs a new jail; it becomes a question of what's the more affordable way to make that happen."

According to the same press release, the existing detention center was built in 1994 under a federal court order, operates over capacity and has significant mechanical and structural issues.

Three statewide constitutional amendments also appear on the ballot: a photo ID requirement for all voters, a 3.5% cap on the state personal income tax and a limit on local property tax levy increases, WFAE reported.

Voter ID and absentee deadlines

North Carolina voters will be asked to show photo ID at the polls. Voters who cannot present an acceptable ID may still cast a ballot by completing an ID Exception Form.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 5 p.m. Completed absentee ballots must reach the Union County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Union County has 186,203 registered voters as of Sept. 30, according to the Board of Elections. Voters can look up their sample ballot at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup. The Board of Elections office is at 316-B East Windsor St., Monroe, and can be reached at 704-283-3809.