Registration deadline Friday for November 7 vote
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on October 10, 2006 1:48 PM
Wayne County residents who want to vote in November's general election have until 5 p.m. Friday to register, election officials said.
Residents can mail their voter registration form to the Wayne County Board of Elections office, which is located at 209 S. William St., or deliver it in person, Wayne Board of Elections Director Gary Sims said.
If any registered voter has moved since the last time he or she voted, Sims said that person should update his or her registration because it makes for a smoother election process for the voter and election officials.
Early one-stop absentee voting begins on Oct. 19. From that day until Nov. 4, residents can vote at the Wayne County Board of Elections office.
This fall's races include Wayne County Clerk of Court with Democrat Pam Minshew and Republican Randy Winders facing off. Clerk of Court Marshall Minchew will retire after his term ends.
Sheriff Carey Winders will seek another term as he battles challenger Democrat Ken Edwards.
Some Wayne County voters can also choose who will represent District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Walter Jones, R-District 3, will be on the ballot against Democrat Craig Weber.
Two North Carolina House of Representative seats will also be on the ballot, with Democrat Van Braxton and Republican Willie Ray Starling vying for the District 10 seat and Democrat Ronnie Griffin challenging Rep. Louis Pate for his District 11 seat.
The state Senate also has two races on the ballot this year. Republican Todd Siebels is campaigning for Democrat Sen. John Kerr's District 5 seat. Sen. Fred Smith, R-District 12, is seeking another term, battling challenger Democrat Sherry Altman.
One Wayne County Board of Education seat will also be decided by the voters over the next few weeks. Incumbent and board chairman Lehman Smith will try to retain his District 1 seat by fighting off challenger Dave Thomas.
Some of the races this election year will be uncontested. Eighth District Attorney Branny Vickory is unopposed for re-election to his post. Rep. Larry Bell, D-District 21, will retain his post in the state House, as will Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-District 1, in the U.S. House of Representatives. Wayne County Board of Education members John Grantham, George Moye and Rick Pridgen are unopposed for their District 4, 5 and 6 seats on the board.
The judicial races include two Court of Appeals seats, a District 8 court seat, three state Supreme Court associate justice seats, the state Supreme Court chief justice and two positions for the state Soil and Water Conservation District.
For more information on judicial candidates, visit the state Board of Elections Web site at www.sboe.state.nc.us or the Wayne County Board of Elections Web site at www.waynegov.com/boe. Both sites have profiles of each judicial candidate.
For any other information regarding elections in Wayne County, call the Wayne County Board of Elections at 731-1411.