By Becky Long
Publisher
Early voting opens Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Clay County Board of Elections and continues through Saturday, March 2. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and on the one Saturday, it is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The BOE Office is on the lower level of the Community Services Building, 75 Riverside Circle Suite 3, Hayesville. The phone number is 389-8431.
Voters are reminded that they will be asked to show a photo ID when they vote.
Because this is a new requirement enacted by the legislature, the State Board of Elections has launched a public education campaign to ensure the state’s 7.5 million registered voters know they will be asked for photo identification.
The campaign slogan is: “Bring It! Your ID. Your Vote.”
“This slogan was chosen because it reminds voters to bring their ID when voting and we hope it motivates North Carolinians to exercise their right to vote in this important election year,” said Karen Brinson Bell, State Board executive director. “Voters can go to: BringItNC.com to learn more about the photo ID requirement, view the list of acceptable IDs and learn how to get a free ID if they need one.”
Another reminder is that campaigning is not allowed within a 50 feet buffer zone of a voting place.
On primary election day, Tuesday, March 5, voters will go to their precincts to cast ballots where the same buffer zone rules apply.
Voter turnout reached 39 percent in the 2020 presidential election year primaries when the same front-runners were on the ballot for president, Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump.
This year’s GOP presidential ballot reflects many candidates who have since dropped out of the race with the exception of candidate Nikki Haley who remains in the campaign and is on the primary ballot along with Trump. Biden has no opposition on the Democratic Party ballot.
In addition to president, contests include U.S. House in which Clay County resident Christian Reagan is a candidate vying for the seat against incumbent Chuck Edwards on the Republican ballot.
Other races include N.C. governor, Council of State Offices, N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice, N.C. Court of Appeals, N.C. House and Senate.
Locally there are only four candidates for the Clay County School Board. That race is on the Republican ballot and is among incumbents Danny Jones and Reba Beck and newcomers Josh Ashe and Jeanine Craig.
In the primary, voters affiliated with a political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party, if their party has a primary. Only unaffiliated voters may choose to vote in any party’s primary, but they may select only one party’s ballot.
In 2020 early voting numbers reached 1,488 compared to 1,873 voters on primary election day.