Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5
By Becky Long
Publisher
Voters continue to flock to the Board of Elections Office for early voting which is underway in Clay County through Saturday, but for those who prefer to wait until Election Day, they won’t have long to wait. It’s Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Early voting is held at the BOE office at 75 Riverside Circle in Suite 3 and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and on the final day of early voting, Saturday, Nov 2, it is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As a testament to the interest in the races on this year’s ballot, as of Wednesday morning, early voting has brought in a 4,667 voters. In the 2020 election, a total of 6,927 people voted.
There are more registered voters now compared to the 2020 general election, 10,304 to 9,128, but the number is high.
Absentee mail-in ballot requests stand at 452, with 233 of those returned to the BOE office, according to BOE Director Rebbecca Hall.
Despite high interest in the election, the time it takes to tally unofficial results on election night is expected to be the norm for Clay County. The first results will come in two sets.
Absentee ballot results can be released at 7:30 p.m. on election night; however, early in-person voting cannot be released until after the polls close at 7:30 p.m.
When Clay County residents will know the local results is expected to be the same as in the past.
“They will come in as usual after precincts close,” Hall said. “Hopefully we will have the results by 9 p.m. or so.”
Results are not considered official until the county canvas which is 10 days after the election or in this year’s case, 11 a.m., Friday, Nov. 15. After that the state will also canvass votes at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
“All results are double checked and verified,” said Hall. “We compare the results tapes to abstracts from election day. We verify all ballots from early voting and absentee are accounted for.”
On election day, voters will mark the ballots at their precincts which are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5.
In the meantime, while the presidential and governor’s race may be receiving the most attention, there are local candidates on this year’s ballot, but all of them are unopposed.
On the five-member Clay County Commission Board, three seats are open and the incumbent candidates are Republicans Randy Nichols, Rob Peck and Dwight Penland.
In the Clay County Board of Education, also a five-member board, two seats are open and those candidates, Republican incumbent Danny Jones and newcomer Republican Josh Ashe will run unopposed. Ashe beat incumbent Reba Beck in the primary to move on to the general election.
Glen Cheeks is running unopposed for Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor.
Clay County resident Tessa Shelton Sellers is running unopposed for the N.C. Superior Court Judge District 43A seat 1.
OTHER OFFICES ON BALLOT:
• U.S. President/Vice President
•U.S. House of Representatives
• Governor
• Lieutenant Governor
• Secretary of State
• State Auditor
• State Treasurer
• Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Attorney General
• Agriculture Commissioner
• Labor Commissioner
• Insurance Commissioner
• State Senator
• State Representative
• N.C. Supreme Court Justice
• N.C. Court of Appeals Judge
• Superior Court Judge
• District Court Judge
• District Attorney
VOTING PRECINCTS
Brasstown: Civic Community Center (conference room) 255 Settawig Rd. Brasstown.
Hayesville I: Community Service Building 1 Riverside Circle, Hayesville.
Hayesville II: Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 495 Herbert Hills Dr, Hayesville.
Hayesville Central: Town Hall 56 Sanderson Street, Hayesville.
Hiawassee: Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Gym, 50 Marvin Cabe Lane, Hayesville.
Shooting Creek: Community Center 18 Eagle Fork Rd, Hayesville.
Sweetwater: Sweetwater United Methodist Church Rd 108 Sweetwater Church Rd, Hayesville.
Tusquittee: Community Center 4374 Downings Creek Rd. Hayesville.
Warne: Community Center 4759 Old Hwy 64 W Warne.