All early voting to be done at Polk County Board of Elections office

COLUMBUS — Polk County voters will have a chance beginning Wednesday to cast their votes early.

One-stop, or early voting begins Wednesday and will be available until Saturday, Nov. 3.

All early voting this year will be done at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in downtown Columbus. The satellite offices for early voting in Mill Spring and Green Creek were closed this year because of new state requirements.

Polk County voters will be choosing several races this year, including federal, state, county, judges and six constitutional amendments.

The local races include three seats for the Polk County Board of Commissioners, including democrats Carolyn Ashburn, Chrelle Booker and incumbent Ray Gasperson; and republicans Paul Beiler and incumbent Tommy Melton.

Voters will also choose a new sheriff this year, as current Sheriff Donald Hill did not seek re-election after a decade in office. Sheriff candidates on the ballot are democrat B.J. Bayne and republican Tim Wright. Wright-in options are available for both commissioner and sheriff.

Voters will also choose Polk County School Board members, with all candidates being unopposed this year. Geoffrey Tennant filed to retain his Columbus seat on the school board; Judy Jackson filed to retain her Coopers Gap seat; Sherry Page filed to retain her Green Creek seat and Michael Ashworth filed to fill an open Tryon seat.

Polk County Clerk of Court Pam Hyder is also running unopposed this year.

Other races include the U.S. House of Representatives District 10, with democrat David Wilson Brown running against incumbent republican Patrick McHenry; N.C. State Senate District 47 has democrat David Wheeler running against incumbent republican Ralph Hise and the N.C. House of Representatives District 113 has democrat Sam Edney running against incumbent republican Cody Henson.

Current District Attorney Greg Newman is running unopposed.

The proposed constitutional amendments include voters being for or against an amendment to protect the right of the people to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife; an amendment to strengthen protections for victims of crime; to establish certain absolute basic rights for victims and to ensure the enforcement of these rights; an amendment to reduce the income tax rate in North Carolina to a maximum allowable rate of 7 percent; an amendment to change the process for filing judicial vacancies that occur between judicial elections from a process which the governor has sole appointment power to a process in which the people of the state nominate individuals; and an amendment to establish an 8-member board of ethics and elections enforcement in the constitution to administer ethics and elections law.

Early voting can be done at the elections office Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Persons may still register to vote while early voting, but may not register to vote on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 6. All Polk County polling places will be open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. is the last day to request an absentee by mail ballot.

Curbside voting is available in front of the Womack building.

A sample ballot and more information about this year’s election can be found at polknc.org.