Frequently Asked Questions

§ 163-166.8. Assistance to voters.

(a) Any registered voter qualified to vote in the election shall be entitled to assistance with entering and exiting the voting booth and in preparing ballots in accordance with the following rules:
(1) Any voter is entitled to assistance from the voter's spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild, as chosen by the voter.
(2) A voter in any of the following four categories is entitled to assistance from a person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or an officer or agent of the voter's union:
a. A voter who, on account of physical disability, is unable to enter the voting booth without assistance.
b. A voter who, on account of physical disability, is unable to mark a ballot without assistance.
c. A voter who, on account of illiteracy, is unable to mark a ballot without assistance.
d. A voter who, on account of blindness, is unable to enter the voting booth or mark a ballot without assistance.
(b) A qualified voter seeking assistance in an election shall, upon arriving at the voting place, request permission from the chief judge to have assistance, stating the reasons. If the chief judge determines that such assistance is appropriate, the chief judge shall ask the voter to point out and identify the person the voter desires to provide such assistance. If the identified person meets the criteria in subsection (a) of this section, the chief judge shall request the person indicated to render the assistance. The chief judge, one of the judges, or one of the assistants may provide aid to the voter if so requested, if the election official is not prohibited by subdivision
(a)(2) of this section. Under no circumstances shall any precinct official be assigned to assist a voter qualified for assistance, who was not specified by the voter.
(c) A person rendering assistance to a voter in an election shall be admitted to the voting booth with the voter being assisted. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules governing voter assistance, and those rules shall adhere to the following guidelines:
(1) The person rendering assistance shall not in any manner seek to persuade or induce any voter to cast any vote in any particular way.
(2) The person rendering assistance shall not make or keep any memorandum of anything which occurs within the voting booth.
(3) The person rendering assistance shall not, directly or indirectly, reveal to any person how the assisted voter marked ballots, unless the person rendering assistance is called upon to testify in a judicial proceeding for a violation of the election laws.

Per the North Carolina State Board of Elections:

A voter may enter a voting place to vote wearing political items as long as they proceed to vote in an orderly and timely manner, and do not attempt to electioneer within the voting place. A voter wearing a T-shirt that states "vote for X," shouts "vote for X," or places his T-shirt in the sight line of voters asking support for "X" is obviously electioneering and will be asked to refrain from the conduct at once and, if they continue, will be removed.

A voter who has a political cap, T-shirt or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal manner.

A voter wearing a political item does not violate GS 163-166.4. We do not know what the laws of other states provide. You have to contact them.

Don Wright, General Counsel, NC State Board of Elections:
§ 163 166.4. Limitation on activity in the voting place and in a buffer zone around it.

(a) Buffer Zone and Adjacent Area for Election Related Activity. – No person or group of persons shall hinder access, harass others, distribute campaign literature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwise engage in election related activity in the voting place or in a buffer zone which shall be prescribed by the county board of elections around the voting place. In determining the dimensions of that buffer zone for each voting place, the county board of elections shall, where practical, set the limit at 50 feet from the door of entrance to the voting place, measured when that door is closed, but in no event shall it set the limit at more than 50 feet or at less than 25 feet. Except as provided in subsection (b), the county board of elections shall also provide an area adjacent to the buffer zone for each voting place in which persons or groups of persons may distribute campaign literature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwise engage in election related activity.

(b) Special Agreements About Election Related Activity. – The Executive Director of the State Board of Elections may grant special permission for a county board of elections to enter into an agreement with the owners or managers of a nonpublic building to use the building as a voting place on the condition that election-related activity as described in subsection (a) of this section not be permitted on their property adjacent to the buffer zone, if the Executive Director finds all of the following:

(1) That no other suitable voting place can be secured for the precinct.

(2) That the county board will require the chief judge of the precinct to monitor the grounds around the voting place to ensure that the restriction on election-related activity shall apply to all candidates and parties equally.

(3) That the pattern of voting places subject to agreements under this subsection does not disproportionately favor any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate. An agreement under this subsection shall be valid for as long as the nonpublic building is used as a voting place.

(c) Notice About Buffer Zone. – No later than 30 days before each election, the county board of elections shall make available to the public the following information concerning each voting place:

(1) The door from which the buffer zone is measured.
(2) The distance the buffer zone extends from that door.
(3) Any available information concerning where political activity, including sign placement, is permitted beyond the buffer zone.

(d) Buffer Zone at One Stop Sites. –The provisions of this section shall apply to one stop voting sites in G.S. 163 227.2, except that the notice in subsection (c) of this section shall be provided no later than 10 days before the opening of one stop voting at the site. (2001 460, s. 3; 2003 365, s. 1; 2007 391, s. 13.)

You can also review the Military and Overseas Voting page on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website for official voter education materials and guidelines regarding your ballot.

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. Vote at one of the Early Voting locations instead.

On Election Day, you should vote in your assigned precinct in order to make sure that you receive a ballot that contains all races for which you are eligible to vote. If you think you may not make it to your precinct on Election Day, please consider voting early at an early voting site.

If you go to the wrong polling place, you may be required to vote a provisional ballot.

By showing up at the wrong location, you may not get to vote for your correct jurisdictional representatives, such as School Board or State House and Senate Representatives. As a result, your provisional ballot may only be partially counted.

Please plan to allow yourself additional time at the polls if you go to the wrong precinct. All proper forms, documentation, and ballot verification must be made before you can be issued a ballot at the incorrect polling place.

Yes, unaffiliated (independent) voters can vote in a primary election in North Carolina.

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.

In a partisan primary election, you must choose which party ballot you wish to vote when you go to your voting place.

• You may request an absentee ballot, OR
• 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 election official in the parking lot, please ask someone to enter the voting place and inform the election officials that you need assistance.

Please also see the information on the How to Vote - General Instructions page.

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.

For more information, see How to Update Your Name or Address for Voter Registration in Johnston County and/or How to Register to Vote in Johnston County, North Carolina (Step-by-Step for Three Methods). More links can be found on the General Information for Voters page.

You can track the status of your absentee ballot at https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/.

Also see the Absentee Voting page.

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, to register to vote you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Live in the county where you are registering. You must have resided in that county for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election.
• Be at least 18 years old by the date of the general election. (Note: 16- and 17-year-olds may pre-register. 17-year-olds may vote in a primary election if they will turn 18 by the subsequent general election.)

You can also find information on the General Information for Voters page.

If hand-delivered, the registration form must be received at the Board of Elections office no later than 5 p.m. on the 25th day prior to the election or postmarked by that date.

Complete and sign the form, then mail it to us. 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 or delivering it to the Johnston County Board of Elections. Our mailing address is:

Johnston County Board of Elections
P.O. Box 1172
Smithfield, NC 27577

If you moved within Johnston County more than 30 days prior to an election and failed to notify the Board of Elections, you have two options:

• Vote early at an early voting location. NC General Statutes allow voters to change their address and vote the correct ballot for that updated address when voting at any early voting location. Near the date of the next election, visit the Early Voting Sites page to view a list of early voting sites. Early voting is the easiest and quickest option if you did not update your address.
• Vote at your new precinct on Election Day. You may be required to vote a provisional ballot. Please give yourself plenty of time to update your information at your new precinct. The process requires additional time to complete the forms necessary to update your information before you can be issued a ballot. Call or e-mail the Board of Elections for further information at 919-989-5095 or elections@johnstonnc.gov.

On Election Day, you should vote in your assigned precinct in order to make sure that you receive a ballot that contains all races for which you are eligible to vote. If you think you may not make it to your precinct on Election Day, please consider voting early at an early voting site.

If you go to the wrong polling place, you may be required to vote a provisional ballot. By showing up at the wrong location, you may not get to vote for your correct jurisdictional representatives, such as School Board, or State House, and Senate Representatives. As a result, your provisional ballot may only be partially counted.

Please plan to allow yourself additional time at the polls if you go to the wrong precinct. All proper forms, documentation, and ballot verification must be made before you can be issued a ballot at the incorrect polling place.

If you go the old precinct, you must tell the election officials where you have moved to, and they will refer you to your correct voting precinct.

The easiest and most convenient way to vote is at an early voting location.

A municipal election in Johnston County is a non-partisan election held every two years in odd-numbered years to elect members of a municipality's governing bodies.

There are 11 municipalities whose boundaries lie within Johnston County: Archer Lodge, Selma, Clayton, Princeton, Micro, Benson, Four Oaks, Pine Level, Smithfield, Kenly, and Wilson's Mills.

For more information on the governing bodies of these municipalities, visit the town websites.

In Municipal/Nonpartisan elections, a candidate must receive a majority (over 50%) of the votes to win outright; otherwise, the second-place finisher can request a runoff.

• Be a resident of the Municipality
• Be a registered voter

(Each Municipality may have additional requirements for filing. You will need to contact the town clerk for that Municipality).

If you still have a question about filing for candidacy, please contact the Johnston County Board of Elections Office at 919-989-5095.

No. Write-in candidates are required to gather signatures and submit them to the County Board of Elections.

A declaration of intent and signatures must be filed on or before noon on the 90th day before the general election.

For more information, visit the How to Become a Write-In Candidate page.

For more information on running for an office, see the NC SBE Filing for Candidacy page.

Signs are permitted on private property with the owner's consent.

Campaign signs and electioneering are strictly banned within the designated buffer zone.

For more information, see the Campaign Signage Rules and Regulations page.

Candidates must be registered to vote in the county in which they wish to file 90 days prior to Election Day. In certain cases, candidates must reside in the district in which they wish to file.

For more information on running for an office, see the NCSBE Filing for Candidacy page.

Reporting schedules vary by level of government, and whether the candidate is on the ballot for the upcoming election or not.

Reporting dates can be found on the NCSBE State and County Reporting Schedule page. Also, see the NCBSE Campaign Finance portal.

For State Highway Rights-of-Way:
Signs may be placed beginning 30 days before the start of early voting. Signs must be removed by the 10th day following Election Day.

At Polling Places and Early Voting Sites:
Precinct voting places must allow candidates to place political signs at least 36 hours prior to the opening of the voting location. Signs must be retrieved within 36 hours after the close of the voting location.

On Private Property:
Signs can generally be posted at any time with the property owner's permission.

Find more rules and regulations regarding campaign signs on the Campaign Signage Rules and Regulations page and on the Political Signs and Littering Statutes page.

Note that while municipal candidates are defined by a town, there aren't candidates that are specific to a precinct or zip code. Read How Boundaries are Established in North Carolina to learn more about how boundaries are established, and the roles of precincts, zip codes, and townships.

To look up campaign finance reports for candidates and committees across North Carolina, you can use the official tools provided by the State Board of Elections.

You can search for specific candidates, committees, or Political Action Committees (PACs) using the Campaign Document Search By Entity database.

View the Johnston County Officials page to find the list of current elected officials.

To find who is running for office and on the ballot, see the Official Notice of Election, published on the Elections website prior to each election or the sample ballots for that election. Sample ballots are available on the Johnston County Elections website prior to an election, and can also be found on the NCSBE Voter Lookup search.

Use the Voter Lookup Search at the NCSBE website to find out which elected officials represent you.

To see all of the Johnston County Officials and Representatives, visit the Johnston County Elected Officials page.

Yes. You must submit a data request to the Board of Elections.

See Johnston County Public Schools Board of Education page or the JCPS Board of Education Agendas page.

A referendum is a direct vote in which citizens are asked to approve or reject a specific law, constitutional amendment, or policy proposal rather than voting for a candidate.

To see what/if referendums are on your ballot, sample ballots are available on the Board of Elections website or at the Board of Elections office.

Provisional ballots are available for voters who:

• are not registered to vote in their county of residence,
• have an address verification issue,
• would like to vote a party ballot that is not their registered party affiliation in a Primary Election,
• do not have a valid Photo ID at the time of voting,
• became a citizen after the Early Voting period ends, or
• appeared to vote at a polling place other than their assigned polling place on Election Day and cannot go to their correct polling place.

For more information about Provisional ballots, see the What is a Provisional Ballot page.

Precincts are not based on town, zip code or subdivision. Learn more about how Boundaries are Established in North Carolina.

The buffer zone is 50 feet from the voting place entrance. No campaigning may take place within this zone.

For more information, see the Polling Place Buffer Zones page.

A map of the precincts can be found at Map of Precincts, and all the polling places are shown on the Interactive Map of Polling Locations and the Polling Places page.

Clayton does not have separate voting districts or wards like Benson or Smithfield.

Election Maps can be found on the Board of Elections Maps page or the Interactive Map of Voting Locations.

You can find this information on the State of North Carolina Board of Elections Voter Lookup Tool.

To learn more about the role of townships, see About Townships and Voting Precincts in Johnston County and How Boundaries are Created in North Carolina.

An interactive map of the polling places can be found at Polling Places and a menu of the maps in PDF is on the List of Maps page.

• United States Congressional District 13
• NC Senate District 10
• NC House of Representatives District 26
• NC House of Representatives District 28
• NC House of Representatives District 53

Click on the links above to view a map of that district. You can also View a list of all the maps on the Elections website.