One-stop voting begins at three sites across county
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 14, 2010 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Voters cast ballots early today at the Woodmen of the World on U.S. 117 North. One-stop voting for the November elections began today. It will continue Friday and also be open Oct. 18-22 and 25-29, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. One-stop votes can be cast at three locations in Wayne County: the Woodmen building at 3733 U.S. 117 North, the former Carver High campus at 612 Breazeale Ave. in Mount Olive, and at the Public Library on Ash Street.
People were standing in line at 8 a.m. this morning at the Wayne County Public Library on East Ash Street to be among the first to cast early one-stop votes. By 9 a.m. 75 people had voted.
It was a scene played out at least one of the county's other two one-stop sites -- 35 people had voted by 8:30 a.m. at the Woodmen of the World building, 3733 U.S. 117 North, Goldsboro. Information from the site at the former Carver High School campus, 612 S. Breazeale Ave., Mount Olive was not available prior to press time this morning.
One-stop voting will continue Friday and again on Oct. 18-22 and 25-29 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"We had a pretty good line," said Board of Elections Deputy Director Michael Berry, who was at the library at 9 a.m. "We had 10 to 12 in line (early) and as of right now we have had 75 to vote and we still have people coming in.
"I was kind of shocked, but I have not been in elections that long."
Berry said it had been a mixed bag of voters.
"The races are pretty well mixed," he said. "I have seen a few young people, but mostly middle age or more."
Berry said he had been busy making sure voting machines and computers were operating properly.
He said he had not heard any voters complaining about the instant runoff voting in the state Court of Appeals race. The state Board of Elections mailed out information about the new procedure and hopefully that helped voters understand it, he said. There are 13 candidates for that office and the instant runoff voting system eliminates the need to postpone announcing a winner and of holding a costly and traditionally low turnout runoff election.
Samples ballots are available on the News- Argus website, www.news argus.com.