About the League

Voting has begun in NC. Are you ready?

It’s time to start making your plan to vote. Vote-by-mail started Friday, September 4th. The County Board of Elections began mailing ballots out to those who already submitted their absentee ballot request forms.

If you plan to vote by mail, now is a good time to make sure your request is submitted and your voter information is up to date.

The NC State Board of Elections made changes to how election officials can receive returned absentee ballots in person. If someone other than you, the voter, is going to deliver your ballot in person, that person must be a near relative or legal guardian. OR, if the voter is disabled, they must state that the person is disabled. If your ballot is returned by someone who is not permitted to do so, it may not be counted.

We know many voters rely on absentee voting. We want to make sure everyone who relies on voting by mail can use it and have their vote counted. Please return your ballot as early as possible, and call the voter hotline at 888-OUR-VOTE if you need help.

Request your ballot to Vote by Mail here.

Some early voting locations and hours have changed due to decisions by county boards of elections. Make sure you have the latest information before you vote. With so many changes happening at once, making a plan to vote early can help ensure your voice is heard.

Find your Early Voting Site.

A few important Election dates and deadlines for your calendar:

Friday, October 9: Regular Voter Registration Deadline
Thursday, October 15: First Day of Early Voting
Tuesday, October 20: Absentee Ballot Request Deadline by 5 pm
Saturday, October 31: Last Day of Early Voting
Tuesday, November 3: Election Day and Absentee Ballot Return Deadline by 7:30 pm

We had a fabulous turnout for our August Postcard Writing Party. The goal was to write at least 350 postcards encouraging voters to go to the polls in November. Our thanks to the nearly 80 amazing folks who participated and wrote over 700 postcards!

Election of the President by popular vote

On April 14th, the United States got one step closer to making sure that every person’s vote counts in every presidential election. With Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature, the Commonwealth of Virginia adopted the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The National Popular Vote law will take effect when approved by states with a majority of the electoral votes (270 of 538).

Then the presidential candidate with the most votes in all 50 states and DC will get all the electoral votes from the enacting states. The addition of 13 electoral votes for Virginia brings the total to 222 electoral votes; only 48 more needed. Our Constitution (Article II, Section 1) gives states exclusive control of the choice of awarding their electoral votes. It does not encourage, discourage, require, or prohibit the use of any particular way. Under the National Popular Vote law, no voter will have their vote cancelled out because their choice differed from the prevailing sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly into the national count of the candidate chosen by that voter.

The basic premise is simple — every vote equal, add up all the votes, most votes wins. Simple, fair and the way every other election in our country is conducted. Since 1970 the League of Women Voters has affirmed that the popular election of the president is essential to representative government. North Carolina should enact the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact; tell your legislators.

Suzanne Fisher, President League of Women Voters Asheville-Buncombe County, Black Mountain

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, volunteer-based, political organization consisting of women and men passionate about our democracy. Born out of the national women’s suffrage movement in 1920, the League continues to work to serve the needs of the voting public and protect the rights of all voters.

Our efforts are two-fold:
Voters Service, Citizen Education – presenting unbiased, nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process and current issues.

Action, Advocacy – following education on the issue(s), action is taken towards enacting policies in the public interest and striking down policies harmful to society.

A just society is derived from a democracy consisting of an engaged and educated public that has faith in the political process.

The League of Women Voters is a membership organization encouraging action and advocacy as a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation. To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, funds are derived from the Florence Ryan Education Fund, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to building citizen participation in democratic process, studying key community issues at all government levels in an unbiased manner, and enabling people to seek positive solutions to public policy issues through education and conflict management.

The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County currently offers meetings and events for members as well as educational programs for the public. Quarterly member events include two meetings each year, a Holiday Social in winter and an Annual Luncheon & Meeting in May or June. League action teams and committees also hold regular meetings for the members involved in those groups.

Join us! Check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. And check out our YouTube Channel for past meetings and voting issues we’re involved with. Our Calendar page has upcoming events.

Connect with your State League: North Carolina League of Women Voters
Connect with the National League: National League of Women Voters

Our chapter is centered around Buncombe County and includes several adjoining counties. This is the homeland of the Cherokee and other nations. We recognize the sovereignty and traditional territories of these local tribal nations, the treaties used to remove them, and the histories of dispossession. We honor and respect the many diverse indigenous people who came before us, who are still here, and who are connected to the land on which we reside.

[lvca_carousel arrows=”yes” autoplay=”yes” autoplay_speed=”15″ animation_speed=”15″ display_columns=”3″ scroll_columns=”3″ gutter=”10″ tablet_display_columns=”2″ tablet_scroll_columns=”2″ tablet_gutter=”10″ tablet_width=”800″ mobile_display_columns=”1″ mobile_scroll_columns=”1″ mobile_gutter=”10″ mobile_width=”480″][/lvca_carousel]