To receive an absentee ballot you must complete an Absentee Ballot Request Form. You can now visit the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request portal to complete your request. You can find a Absentee Ballot Request Form on our website or visit our office at 77 McDowell St, Asheville NC 28801. You can also call 828-250-4200 and we will mail you one. Return the request form in one of the following ways: Mail it to: P.O. Box 7468, Asheville, NC 28802 Hand deliver it to our office at 77 McDowell St., Asheville, 28801 Email the form to elections@buncombecounty.org Fax the form to (828) 250-6262 NOTICE: The Absentee Ballot Request Form for the 2021 Election Cycle is currently in development and will be posted as soon as available. Please check back at a later date for more information. If it is after the request deadline and a voter experiences a sudden or unexpected illness or disability that prevents them from going to a polling location, there are exceptions which would allow a near relative to obtain a ballot and deliver it to the voter. If you know a voter who requires this, please visit our office.
Ballots will be mailed to voters who have submitted a completed Absentee Ballot Request Form. Election Services will begin mailing ballots on September 4th, 2020 (60 days before the election). Due to the large quantity being processed in this first week, please allow 2-3 weeks for your ballot to arrive. The envelope we send will contain your ballot, a return envelope, and instructions. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO RETURN YOUR BALLOT IN THE DESIGNATED RETURN ENVELOPE. It will have spaces for the signature of the voter and the witness. If you choose to return the ballot in person, it does not require postage. Ballots may only be returned by the voter, the voter’s near relative, or the legal guardian.
Ballots can be returned in one of the following ways: By Mail Send your ballot through the mail. If mailing your ballot close to the deadline, we recommend asking a post office official to postmark your ballot envelope. Please mail your ballot at least one week prior to the election. In Person to a Early Voting Site View Early voting sites and hours of operation Ballots can be returned by the voter or near relative to any early voting site during early voting hours of operation. You must check in with an election official inside the precinct, which may mean waiting in line. You will hand your ballot to an election official at a computer station. During Early Voting, we will have a wait map available on our website so you can see the number of people in line. In Person to the Elections Office Ballots can be returned by the voter or near relative to our office at 77 McDowell St, Asheville NC 28801 during office hours, which are Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. There will be signs directing you to the right side of the building which will be used exclusively for absentee ballot return. You will hand your ballot to an election services employee and you will be asked to sign a log. The deadline to return your ballot to the office is 5PM on Election Day, November 3rd, 2020.
For information on voting overseas or military, please visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website. Notice: You will need to print, sign and transmit these forms to either the State or Buncombe County Board of Elections.