By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

Polk County residents will have until this Friday, Feb. 19 to register to vote for the upcoming primary.

Voter registration can be done at the Polk County Board of Elections on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus. Friday will also be the last day to change party affiliations prior to the primary.

Absentee voting by mail began on Jan. 25 with the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail on Tuesday, March 8.

One-stop early voting will begin on Thursday, March 3 and ends on Saturday, March 12 at noon. Polk County residents can early vote at the board of elections office or at the Mill Spring Fire Department.

Early voting times will be as follows: March 3-4, 7-11 from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. and March 5 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and March 12 from 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

This year is the first year ID will be required to vote.

Acceptable forms of ID include a NC driver’s license, a NC state identification card, a US passport or passport card, military identification, veteran’s identification card and certain tribal enrollment cards.

For those unable to get an acceptable identification prior to the primary, exceptions will be made and those persons may still cast a provisional ballot at the polls.

For more information about the election, voting or photo identification, call the Polk County Board of Elections Office at 828-894-8181 or visit polknc.org or the state board of election website at ncsbe.gov.