Local voters go with state on all six proposed amendments

COLUMBUS — Polk County voters had the same opinion as the rest of the state on the six proposed amendments to the North Carolina constitution during Tuesday’s election.

Polk County and the rest of the state voted for an amendment to protect the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife; an amendment to strengthen protections for victims of crime; an amendment to require a photo identification to vote; and an amendment to reduce the income tax rate in North Carolina to a maximum allowable rate of 7 percent.

Polk County and the rest of the state voted against amendments to change the process for filing judicial vacancies that occur between judicial elections from a process in which the governor has sole appointment power to a process in which the other state officials nominate individuals, as well as an amendment to establish an eight-member board of ethics and elections enforcement to administer ethics and elections law.

Polk County voters also followed the rest of the state on senate and congress seats, as well as judicial seats.

Polk County voted 5,598 in favor of the hunt and fish amendment and 3,374 against, according to unofficial results from the Polk County Board of Elections Office Tuesday night.

Polk voters also favored the victim’s rights amendment with 5,580 votes, compared to 3,305 against; favored the income tax rate amendment with 5,540 in favor and 3,400 against, and favored the voter identification amendment with 5,804 in favor and 3,294 against.

The nonpartisan judicial merit commission amendment failed in Polk County, as well as statewide, with 4,884 Polk voters against the amendment and 3,768 in favor of the amendment.

Likewise, the bipartisan ethics and election amendment failed in Polk and statewide. Polk voters cast 4,575 votes against the amendment and 4,123 in favor.

All of Polk County’s seven precincts voted in favor of the voter identification and victim’s rights amendment, while Tryon voted against the tax rate and hunting and fishing amendments.

The last two amendments that failed regarding judicial merit commission and ethics and elections enforcement saw all Polk’s precincts vote against, except the White Oak and Coopers Gap precincts.

Polk County voters also sided with the rest of the state by re-electing U.S. House of Representatives District 10’s Republican Patrick McHenry over Democrat David Brown, with McHenry receiving 5,461 votes to Brown’s 3,671 votes.

The North Carolina Senate District 47 race saw incumbent Republican Ralph Hise retain his seat with 5,323 votes over Democrat David Wheeler’s 3,795 votes.

The North Carolina House of Representatives District 113 seat saw Republican Cody Henson retain his seat with 5,318 Polk County votes over Democrat Sam Edney’s 3,802 votes.

Democrats took all the local judicial seats in Polk’s district, but republican candidates won in Polk County.  Barbara Jackson won in Polk County for the Supreme Court Associate Justice seat 1; Andrew Heath won in Polk County for the Court of Appeals Judge seat 1; Jefferson Griffin won in Polk County for the Court of Appeals Judge seat 2; and Chuck Kitchen won in Polk County for the Court of Appeals Judge seat 3.

Other local races included the re-election of Polk County Clerk of Court Pam Hyder (D) and Polk County School Board members Geoffrey Tennant, Judy Jackson, Sherry Page and Michael Ashworth. Polk voters also re-elected Richard Smith and Bill Davis to the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. The clerk of court, school board and soil and water district supervisor positions were all uncontested this year.

Polk County’s results will not become official until the canvassing by the Polk County Board of Elections, scheduled for next Friday, Nov. 16.

To see a full list of results, people may go to polknc.org under the board of elections department or view them at ncsbe.gov.