A bipartisan team of volunteers visited a Davidson living facility on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to help elderly and disabled residents fill out absentee ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections' Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) pairs one Democrat and one Republican volunteer on each visit. The teams help residents request absentee ballots, make photo IDs for those who don't drive and seal completed ballots for mailing, as first reported by Queen City News.

LaDonna Engle, a resident at the facility, told Queen City News she learned how to request an absentee ballot during the visit and found the process straightforward.

The bipartisan pairing is required by state law. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, a MAT must include at least two people with different party affiliations. If a team member helps mark a ballot, the voter's selections are kept confidential.

Angela Carnes, a MAT volunteer who joined the team in September, said the pairs witness signatures and help seal envelopes but never look at how residents vote. "We're not allowed to talk about anything on that ballot," Carnes told Queen City News.

Since July, MAT members have visited more than 70 hospitals, clinics and nursing homes across Mecklenburg County.

The team can't keep up with demand.

Kristin Mavromatis with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections said the roughly 20 current volunteers are not enough to reach every facility that could use the service. Only six of those volunteers are Republicans, which limits how many bipartisan pairs can be scheduled on any given day.

Mavromatis said a consistent team of 40 or 50 volunteers could handle significantly more facilities, and she urged residents to consider signing up ahead of the 2028 election cycle. Information on joining a MAT is available through the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Upcoming election dates

  • Early voting runs through 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at any early voting site in Mecklenburg County.
  • Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters must cast ballots at their assigned polling place.