Municipal elections will now heat up as hopefuls start fall campaigning
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on October 10, 2007 1:45 PM
With one election behind them and the field now set for Goldsboro's municipal races, the Wayne County Board of Elections office is already looking ahead to November.
Fortunately, interim county elections director Erin Burridge explained, with elections director Gary Sims' resignation in September, she, the rest of staff and the precinct officials were able to use Tuesday's primary as a sort of test run for Election Day.
"We miss him, but we did fine. We have a great team. We didn't have any major issues, and we really didn't have any minor ones. Everybody was in place and ready to go -- opening on time and closing on time. Everybody did what they were supposed to," she said.
And, she continued, while it took a little bit longer than she anticipated to post the results, she felt it was due in large part to new precinct workers taking the time to do their jobs correctly.
Results from all 14 open precincts -- 16 total, but two were combined with larger ones for the day's election -- were into her office by 8:30 p.m.
Turnout was rather light.
Of the 5,860 voters eligible to cast ballots in the mayoral race, only 1,079 (18.41 percent) did so, and of the 1,187 eligible for the District 3 city council race, only 142 (11.96 percent) came to polls.
But, overall, Ms. Burridge said, the process went smoothly.
"I think things went really well yesterday," she said. "Now we jump right into turning around for November."
The first step will be making Tuesday's nights results official at canvass at 11 a.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
Additionally, the elections staff will be counting the primary's two provisional votes on Monday.
"Nothing is going to change with those," Ms. Burridge said.
Also on Monday, they also will be undergoing a routine state-mandated hand count of the 135 ballots cast in Precincts 11 and 22.
Then, once the results are made official, November's ballots can be printed.
However, Ms. Burridge said, "We may be delayed starting one-stop (voting), waiting on ballots. We have to close one election before beginning the second."
One-stop voting is scheduled to begin Thursday, Oct. 18.
The last day for absentee ballots to be requested is Oct. 30.
Residents in Wayne County's municipalities have until 5 p.m. Friday to register to vote, although they can also register and vote on the same day at the early voting one-stop sites.
One-stop voting will end at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3.
Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
On the ballots will be candidates for four sanitary districts and every town in Wayne County -- except Eureka, where, in keeping with recent tradition, nobody filed.
There, the three town commission seats will be filled by write-in candidates.
Elsewhere, the ballots will feature:
GOLDSBORO
Mayor
*Alfonzo "Al" King (incumbent)
*D.A. Stuart
City Council
*Frankie Anna Lewis, District 1
*Michael L. Headen, District 1
*Bob Waller (incumbent), District 2
*L.J. Stanley, District 2
*Donnie R. Chatman Sr. (incumbent), District 3
*Jerry Broadhurst, District 3
*Charles James Williams Sr. (incumbent), District 4
*Chuck Allen (incumbent), District 5
* Jackie Warrick (incumbent), District 6
MOUNT OLIVE
Mayor
*I. Ray McDonald
*Jessie Jack Faison
City Council
*Ray Thompson (incumbent), At-Large
*Russell Gray, At-Large
*George Fulghum, At-Large
*Kenneth Kyle Talton (incumbent), District 1
*Ora H. Truzy, District 1
*Hosea Manley (incumbent), District 2
*Paul Smalley, District 2
*Lloyd Warren, District 3
*Jimmy Kornegay (incumbent), District 4
*Norwood Gene Lee, District 4
FREMONT
Mayor
*Devone Jones (incumbent)
*Amy V. Price
*W. Darron Flowers
Aldermen
*Bill Harvey (incumbent), District 1
*Al Lewis, District 1
*Leon Mooring (incumbent), District 2
*W.T. Smith (incumbent), District 3
*Harold Cuddington (incumbent), District 4
*Leroy Ruffin (incumbent), District 5
*Annie R. Lewis (incumbent), District 6
PIKEVILLE
City Council -- three seats
*Bruce Thomas (incumbent)
*Albert Greene (incumbent)
*Todd S. Anderson
*Talmage "Thigie" Thigpen
*Vance Greeson
*Dennis K. Lewis
SEVEN SPRINGS
Mayor
*Stephen Potter (incumbent)
*Karen Mozingo
City Council -- three seats
*Bobby Mozingo (incumbent)
*Danny Carter (incumbent)
*Alan Cash
WALNUT CREEK
City Council -- three seats
*Thomas Hill Shaw (incumbent)
*Danny Jackson (incumbent)
*Greg Ricker
*Jeffrey Wharton
*Dave Colburn
SANITARY DISTRICTS
Fork Township -- two seats
*Andy G. Hartley (incumbent)
*David B. Jackson (incumbent)
Northwestern Wayne -- five seats
*Walter F. Bridgers (incumbent)
*William "Bill" Lynch Jr. (incumbent)
*David W. Pittman (incumbent)
*Kenneth A. Tucker (incumbent)
*James S. Kirby (incumbent)
*Wayne Aycock Jr.
Southern Wayne -- three seats
*William "Bill" Harrell (incumbent)
*Scott T. Ingram
Southwestern Wayne -- five seats
*David A. Bennett (incumbent)
*Alan R. Lumpkin (incumbent)
*Jean L. Hood (incumbent)
*Ruby Gail Minchew