County elections boards across North Carolina have begun holding meetings to validate returned ballots for this year's primaries.
Requested absentee ballots started getting sent out on January 19th.
In Wayne County on Tuesday, the local board had five returned ballots to review, according to county elections director Anne Risku.
"We're checking that you have your two witnesses or one notary and that you have your signature on the packet as well," she said.
The voter information that gets verified is on the outside of the absentee packet--but the voter's choices remain sealed.
Photo identification is now required for in-person and mail-in voting--and absentee ballots must be returned by the close of polls on Election Day. Under federal law, military and overseas voters do NOT have to provide photo ID.