News

Early voting starts Thursday for congressional runoff

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 31, 2020

Early voting begins Thursday in the Republican runoff in the 11th Congressional District.

The contest is between Republicans Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn. The winner will face Democrat Moe Davis, Green Party candidate Tamara Zwinak and Libertarian Tracey DeBruhl in the Nov. 3 general election.

All registered Republicans, unaffiliated voters who either did not vote in the March primary or voted a Republican ballot in the primary are eligible to vote. Eligible voters can access a sample ballot here.
All three voting options in North Carolina — absentee by-mail, in-person early voting and in-person voting on Election Day — will be available to eligible Republican and unaffiliated voters in the county.
Absentee voting by mail began on May 9. The last day to request a ballot by mail is Tuesday, June 16. To request a ballot, eligible voters complete an absentee ballot request form found here. The form must be returned by mail or in-person to the Board of Elections office.

In-person early voting will be 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays from Thursday, June 4 to June 19, and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 20. The only one-stop early voting location will be at the Board of Elections office, at 75 E. Central St.

On Election Day, June 23, all polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. There is no voting at the Board of Elections on that day.

Precautions to be taken because of covid-19:

• Masks available for all poll workers and voters who do not bring their own.
• Single-use pens for voters to mark their ballots.
• Single-use cotton swabs for voters using touchscreen voting machines.
• Enforced social distancing for all poll workers and voters, including markings or barriers to prevent voters in line from standing too close together.
• Hand sanitizer for voters and poll workers.
• Face shields and gloves for poll workers.
• Protective barriers between poll workers and voters at check-in tables.
• Special sanitation kits at each precinct to ensure poll worker protection and clean tables, voting booths and voting machines throughout the voting process.
• Thorough cleaning of voting sites before and after the election.