Pitts: Before voting, take a look at your sample ballot in Cumberland County and NC

Myron B. Pitts, The Fayetteville Observer
·2 min read

Friday and Saturday are the last days for early voting before Election Day on Tuesday.

Voting hours for Friday are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For Saturday, they are 8 a.m to 3 p.m. (See sites below.)

People can register and vote on the same day during early voting, but not on Tuesday.

Myron B. Pitts
Myron B. Pitts

One voting “hack” some people are not aware of, is that you can go to the Cumberland County Board of Elections website or the N.C. State Board of Elections website, do a “voter search” or “voter lookup” and access a sample ballot that will look exactly like the ballot you will vote in your precinct.  (The county site redirects to the state site, fyi.)

More:Voter Guide 2022: Early voting is underway. Here's what Cumberland voters need to know.

Voter Search is a great tool that also tells you all your voting districts: Congressional, North Carolina legislature, county, city, school board, courts, etc.

This year in Fayetteville, we have several bond referendums; you can read the exact wording right there on your sample ballot.

More:What's at stake if Fayetteville residents vote to pay more in property taxes in November?

More:A guide to voter rights in North Carolina. What you need to know before you cast a ballot

In past years, I almost always find a race on my sample ballot I did not know I could vote in, or whose candidates I don’t recognize. And I consider myself reasonably well-informed.

Speaking of being informed, the folks at The Fayetteville Observer and our partner, WIDU radio station, 99.7 FM and 1600 AM, have you covered.

We cover most county races and candidates in our handy Voter Guide; start here. Check the WIDU Facebook page where we have video interviews of the candidates, conducted by Observer and WIDU staff.

Meanwhile, early voting sites are:

  • Cliffdale Recreation Center, 6404 Cliffdale Rd., Fayetteville

  • College Lakes Recreation Center, 4945 Rosehill Rd., Fayetteville

  • East Regional Library, 4809 Clinton Rd., Fayetteville

  • J.D. Pone Recreation Center, 2964 School Rd., Hope Mills

  • Kiwanis Recreation Center, 352 Devers St., Fayetteville

  • Smith Recreation Center, 1520 Slater Ave., Fayetteville

  • Spring Lake Recreation Center, 245 Ruth St., Spring Lake

  • Stoney Point Recreation Center, 7411 Rockfish Rd., Hope Mills

On Tuesday, the polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters should cast ballots at their local precinct.

The ballot you can get from the elections websites will tell you exactly where that is.

Happy voting!

Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Pitts: Before voting, take a look at your sample ballot in Cumberland County and NC