One stop polls reported 1,078 total ballots cast by close of business Wednesday.
Early voting for the March 3 primary ends Feb. 28. The second day of early voting (Feb. 13) was the busiest so far, with 256 ballots cast. The first day (Feb. 12) saw 247 votes, Feb. 16 had 188, and Wednesday (Feb. 18) was the slowest so far with 179.
Five early voting sites are open in Columbus County – the board of elections, Ransom Center, Chadbourn Municipal annex, Tabor City courthouse, and Fair Bluff fire department.
An approved photo ID is required to vote. If you do not have a valid ID, you can get one for free at the board of elections office until Feb. 28. The primary is March 3.
During the primaries, voters may only use ballots for their registered party. Unaffiliated voters must ask for a Democrat or Republican ballot. Several races will essentially be decided in the primary.
Most local races will be determined in the primaries, with Republicans dominating the ticket this season. Primaries give registered voters a chance to choose their nominee for the general election in November, unless a party does not produce a candidate in the primary.
Columbus County has 14,062 registered Democrats, 10,881 registered Republicans, and 11,501 registered Unaffiliated voters who can cast a ballot in the March 3 election. A total of 124 voters are registered Green, Libertarian or No Labels, none of which have candidates in the primaries.
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