Early Polls Top 7,200
Almost 700 people cast early ballots Wednesday, bringing the one-stop total to 7,253 in Columbus County.
Election Day is Tuesday, but many voters are not waiting for Nov. 8. Early voting goes on through Saturday at five polls in the county. All registered voters can cast a ballot at any poll, regardless of residency, during the early period. Voters must go to their home precinct if they wait until Tuesday.
Early polls are open until, 7:30 p.m. weeknights, and from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday.
On Wednesday, 671 voters went to the polls early. The elections office saw 303 ballots cast. Chadbourn had 104, Tabor City 98, Ransom 118, and Fair Bluff 48.
Early polls are located at the county elections office on U.S. 701 North of Whiteville; Chadbourn municipal annex; Ransom community center; Tabor City courthouse; and Fair Bluff Fire and Rescue.
State elections officials sent out a reminder Thursday morning (today) that totals on Election Night are unofficial tallies. The official vote tally won’t be available until Canvass Day on Nov. 18.
The state has tightened rules on aggressive campaigning outside of polling places, and voters who feel intimidated are encouraged to contact the chief of the polling place to file a complaint.
The State Board also said that equipment failure, power failures and other issues occur “during every election,” and “are not indications of malicious activity.” Polling hours can also be extended by the State Board if interruptions occur during the course of regular voting. Critics pointed to Gov. Roy Cooper’s last reelection win as the result of polls in Durham being held open later due to confusion about voter’s precincts. All votes cast after 7:30 p.m. must be provisional ballots, which are verified along with mail-in absentees after the regular results are tabulated.
Counting will not be stopped until all ballots have been tabulated across the state, the state board said. Totals upload to the state at the same time they do at local elections boards, so totals released by the state are up to date.
Candidates on local ballots include:
County commissioner
District 1
Barbara Featherston
(Randy Williams is running as a write-in candidate)
District 6
Ricky Bullard
District 7
Scott Floyd
Edward Squires
Sheriff
Jody Greene
Jason Soles
District Attorney
Jon David (unopposed)
Clerk of Superior Court
Jess Hill (unopposed)
Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor
Frank Galloway
James Malpass
County Schools
District 02
Ronnie Strickland
Timothy Lance
District 03
Irvin Enzor
Frankye Boone
(Jerome McMillian is on the ballot, but withdrew from race)
District 04
Chris Worley
Wanda Brooks
Whiteville City Schools
At Large
Ronald Fisher
Ernest Gaskins
Elgin Collier
Whiteville City Schools District 01
Anna Hall Richardson
Phyllis Haynes
Whiteville City Schools District 02
David flowers and Jason Elleby
U.S. Senate
Ted Budd
Shannon Bray
Cherie Beasley
House of Representatives
Charles Vinson Graham
David Rouzer
N.C. Senate District 08
William “Bill” Rabon (unopposed)
N.C. House of Representatives District 046
Brenden Jones (unopposed)
N.C. District Court Judge Seat 01
Will Callihan (unopposed)
N.C. District Court Judge Seat 02 (Brunswick)
Quinton McGee
Bryan David Wilson
N.C. District Court Judge Seat 07 (Brunswick)
Sarah McPherson
N.C. Supreme Court Justice Seat 05
Sam Ervin IV
Curtis Hudson Allen III
N.C. Supreme Court Justice Seat 03
Richard Dietz
Lucy inman
N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 08
Julee Tate Flood
Carolyn Jennings Thompson
N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 09
Brad Andrew Salmon
Donna stroud
N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 10
John Tyson
Gale Murray Adams
N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 11
Darren Jackson
Michael Stading