Early voting ended Saturday with staggering numbers for the county and state.
More than 18,500 ballots have been cast in Columbus, either at early polls or by mail in absentees. That was more than fifty percent of the county’s 36,500 registered voters. Statewide as of Sunday. 4.4 million of the state’s 7.8 million voters have cast a ballot — 57 percent of the state’s voter rolls. State officials said some counties were slow to report their early ballots due to technical difficulties.
Republicans and unaffiliated voters outpaced Democrats statewide. Party breakdowns are not available for Columbus County.
State officials expect to see more than one million voters at the polls for Election Day.
In addition to the president, U.S. Congress, State Senate and House of Representatives, governor and state cabinet positions, Columbus County voters have multiple races to consider.
Two county commissioners – Chris Smith in District Two, and Lavern Coleman in District Four – are unopposed. In District Three, longtime incumbent Giles “Buddy” Byrd is facing a challenge from Republican nominee Salhudin Majeed. Both candidates are from Hallsboro.
District Five Commissioner Brent Watts, the Republican incumbent, is facing Democrat challenger Joseph “Joe” Small.
Republican Kandance Bullock is unopposed in her bid for another term as Register of Deeds.
The county Board of Education has two contested races.
Emily Grice and Charles Jacobs Jr. are vying for the District One seat being vacated by Randy Coleman, who did not seek reelection.
The County District Five race has three hopefuls – Steve Long, Cathy Rouse and Cameron “Cam” Byrd.
In Whiteville, Ernest Gaskins and Jackie Ray-Pierce are running for the District Three seat.
Incumbent Greg Merritt and Edward squires are on the ballot for District Four in the city schools.
The Riegelwood Sanitary Board has two candidates in the running: James Edwin Horrell Hammond, and Joshua Simmons.
Two candidates are on the ballot for Soil and Water Conservation: Gary Simmons and Walter Strickland.
Voter ID is required to cast a ballot. Free voter IDs can be obtained at the board of elections office for those without an approved government ID such as a student card, driver’s license or state identity card. Saturday is the last day to obtain a free voter ID. Voters who do not have an ID on Election Day will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot if they fill out an exception form.
Any registered voter may cast a ballot at any early poll through Saturday. On Election Day, votes must be cast in home precincts.
Polls will open at 6:30 a./m. on Election Day, and close at 7:30 p.m. Polls will be open at:
Bogue – Hallsboro Fire Department, 753 Hallsboro Rd. S.
Bolton- Bolton Fire Department, 225 9Th St.
Bug Hill- Guideway Elementary Cafeteria, 11570 Swamp Fox Hwy. E.
Cerro Gordo- Cerro Gordo Town Hall, 84 Cherry St.
Chadbourn- Chadbourn Municipal Annex 208 E. 1st Ave.
Cherry Bluff- Fair Bluff Fire & Rescue Dept., 152 Main St.
Lees Southeast- Old Dock Community Building, 12820 New Britton Hwy. E., Nakina
Nakina- Nakina Fire & Rescue, 514 Ramsey Ford Rd.
North Lees- Pleasant Plains Church, 61 Pleasant Plains Church Rd., Whiteville
NW Whiteville- North Whiteville Fire Dept., 7474 Peacock Rd.
Ransom- Ransom Event Center, 2696 Gen. Howe Hwy. ( N.C. 11), Riegelwood
South Whiteville- Abundant Life Church, 5384 James B. White Hwy S.
South Williams- Tabor City Courthouse, 110 W 4th St., Tabor City
Tatum- WOW Lodge 1088, 6847 Hayes Lennon Hwy, Evergreen
Waccamaw- Lake Waccamaw Fire Dept., 203 Flemington Dr., Lake Waccamaw
Welches Creek- Welches Creek Fire Dept., 45 Millie-Christine Rd., Whiteville.
West Whiteville- American Legion Post 137, 76 Legion Dr., Whiteville
Whiteville 1- Whiteville Rescue Unit Building, 106 Flowers Pridgen Dr.
Whiteville 2- Vineland Station Depot, 701 E Main St.
Williams 1- Beaverdam OFW Baptist Church, 2665 Beaverdam Rd., Chadbourn
Williams 2- Lebanon United Methodist Church, 9327 James B. White Hwy. S., Whiteville
