Polk County residents can cast their votes early for this year’s May primary. Several local and state races will be  decided, as well as a constitutional amendment defining marriage.
Early voting begins Thursday, April 19 at three Polk County locations:
• The Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
• The Green Creek Family Life Center, Monday through Friday from noon until 7 p.m.
• The Mill Spring Fire Department, Monday through Friday from noon until 7 p.m.
Early voting ends on May 5, which will be the only Saturday of early voting. All polling places will be open on May 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The primary will be held at all Polk polling places on Tuesday, May 8.
Polk County voters will choose three Democratic commissioners out of six candidates to run against three Republican candidates, all vying for three open seats.
The Polk County Democratic primary for the board of commissioners includes the following candidates:
• Emily Bartlett
• Ritchie “Bubba” Greene
• Ernie Giannini
• Renée McDermott (incumbent)
• Rickie McFalls
• Russell Mierop
Voters will be asked to select three Democratic candidates to face the three Republican candidates, Michael Gage, Keith Holbert and incumbent Tom Pack, in November.
In the Democratic primary, only registered Democrats and registered independents who select a Democratic ballot will be allowed to vote for commissioners. As well, registered Republicans and registered independents who select a Republican ballot can vote in Republican races.
New residents or residents who have never registered to vote before may also register to vote during the primary at the same time as they cast their votes. The deadline has passed for registered voters to switch parties, however.
Other primary races include the U.S. House of Representative District 11 seat currently held by Heath Shuler (D). Primary voters will choose one for each party from Democratic candidates Tom Hill, Hayden Rogers and Cecil Bothwell and Republican candidates Susan Harris, Jeff Hunt, Mark Meadows, Vance Patterson, Chris Petrella, Kenny West, Ethan Wingfield and Spence Campbell.
A primary will also decide the Republican candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives to run against Polk County’s George Alley (D). Candidates on the primary for the N.C. House of Representatives include Trudi Walend (R), who currently holds the seat, and Chris Whitmire (R).
The N.C. governor’s seat also has several choices for Democratic, Libertarian and Republican candidates as well as primaries for several other state offices.
Voters will also be faced with whether to approve adding Amendment 1 to the state constitution. The amendment would define marriage between one man and one woman as the only legal domestic union in the state. The amendment, proposed to be included in Article 14 of the state constitution, would add a new Section 6 that would read, “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”
The ballot question regarding the constitutional amendment will read, “Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.” The choices are “for” and “against.” Voting “for” the amendment will add the new verbiage to the constitution and voting “against” the amendment will leave the constitution as is.
Following is the official explanation of the amendment approved by the Constitutional Amendments Publication Commission:
“A current North Carolina law enacted in 1996 says that marriage between individuals of the same-sex is not valid in North Carolina. This amendment would make that concept part of the North Carolina Constitution. If this amendment is passed by the voters, then under state law it can only be changed by another vote of the people.
“The term ‘domestic legal union’ used in the amendment is not defined in North Carolina law.
“There is debate among legal experts about how this proposed constitutional amendment may impact North Carolina law as it relates to unmarried couples of same or opposite sex and same-sex couples legally married in another state, particularly in regard to employment-related benefits for domestic partners; domestic violence laws; child custody and visitation rights; and end-of-life arrangements. The courts will ultimately make those decisions.
“The amendment also says that private parties may still enter into contracts creating rights enforceable against each other. This means that unmarried persons, businesses and other private parties may be able to enter into agreements establishing personal rights, responsibilities, or benefits as to each other. The courts will decide the extent to which such contracts can be enforced.”
The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 6.