LAURINBURG — North Carolina counties started distributing absentee ballots Tuesday for the November general election to those who requested them, roughly two weeks later than anticipated as a legal challenge forced delays.

As of Monday, the Scotland County Board of Elections received a total of 297 absentee ballot requests, 277 civilian absentee requests and 20 military/overseas, according to the office’s director, Dell Parker.

Election officials in all 100 counties planned to mail out the first ballots to regular state residents starting Tuesday. Ballots to military and overseas voters requesting them — mostly transmitted electronically — went out starting this past Friday.

Statewide, more than 207,000 absentee ballot requests had been received as of early Monday, according to the State Board of Elections. More than 19,000 had come from military and overseas voters. Some completed ballots already have been returned.

State law directed that the first absentee ballots were to go out on Sept. 6, which would have made North Carolina the first in the nation to send out ballots for the fall elections. But, appeals court judges prevented ballots containing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name from going out after he sought his removal as a presidential candidate. That caused election officials statewide to print new ballots and reassemble absentee voter packets.

“It did create some extra work for us and a delay in the mailing of the ballots,” Parker said of the reprint. “Unfortunately, the reprint will have to be paid for by each of the one hundred counties throughout our state. This will cost Scotland County roughly $10,000.”

The board decided to begin the distribution of military and absentee ballots sooner than traditional mail-in ballots to ensure that the state complied with a federal law requiring ballots be transmitted to these categories of voters by Sept. 21.

The deadline to request a traditional absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 29. A law taking effect this year says those mail-in absentee ballots for most voters must be received by election officials in person or through the mail by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Military and overseas voters have different request and return deadlines.

North Carolina absentee ballots were very popular during the 2020 general election due to COVID-19, with about 1 million such ballots cast. The number fell to roughly 188,000 for the November 2022 midterm election.

10 Tips for voters about absentee voting

— Any registered voter in North Carolina can vote by mail. The easiest way to request an absentee ballot is through the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal. For more information on absentee voting, see Vote By Mail. Also see Detailed Instructions to Vote By Mail.

— The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 29. However, election officials recommend requesting and returning your ballot sooner to ensure it can be completed and received by the county board of elections by the return deadline. If you’ve already submitted an absentee ballot request for this election, you do not need to submit another one. (For military and overseas citizen voters only, the request deadline is 5 p.m. November 4, the day before Election Day.)

— Completed absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day – Nov. 5. (For military and overseas citizen voters only, the receipt deadline is is 7:30 p.m. on Election Day for voters who return their ballot electronically, and 5 p.m. Nov.14 by mail.)

— Sample ballots are now available through the State Board’s Voter Search tool.

— If you have questions about your absentee ballot, contact your county board of elections.

— Absentee voters, with the exception of military and overseas citizen voters, must provide a photocopy of an acceptable form of photo ID when they return their ballot or fill out and return the Photo ID Exception Form that comes with the ballot materials.

— Absentee voters can track their ballot using BallotTrax, starting September 24.

— Non-UOCAVA voters can return their ballot by mailing it or returning it in person to their county board of elections or to any early voting site during the early voting period – October 17 through Nov. 2. See Early Voting Sites Search.

— The cost to return an absentee ballot by mail through the U.S. Postal Service has increased to $1.77, or three “Forever” stamps.

— If you request a ballot by mail but do not return it, you can still vote in person during the early voting period (October 17 through November 2) or on Election Day. Simply discard your absentee ballot

In person voting

The in-person early voting period for the 2024 general election begins Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. and ends Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Voters who are voting in person are urged to remember to bring a photo ID.

“If they are currently registered but do not have a photo ID they can come to the elections office during regular business hours and request one,” Parker said.

Those voting on Election Day will have to go to their assigned precinct. To see the assigned precinct, see the lookup tab at the NC Board of Elections’ website.