By Tim Gardner
What election officials termed as a “very high volume,” 984 votes were cast during the 13-day early voting period in Avery County.
All Early Voting had to be done in the Avery Board of Elections office, located in the Avery County Court House Annex in Newland. Avery Early Voting closed on Saturday, February 29.
County races for Clerk of Court, County Commissioner, Register of Deeds, Coroner and non-partisan Board of Education are on the ballot as well as several for various regional, state and federal offices.
Counting both early and absentee votes, Republican ballots were the majority of votes cast in the Avery primary election with 776. Democrat ballots accounted for 241 early and absentee votes with two unaffiliated early or absentee votes.
The polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. at the 19 precincts in Avery County Tuesday, March 3 for those registered to vote and wishing to do so, who did not vote early or by absentee ballot.
Avery Precinct Locations are as follows-
| Altamont | Crossnore Meeting House | ||
| 1 Fountain Circle | |||
| PO Box 40 | |||
| Crossnore, NC 28616 | |||
| Banner Elk | Banner Elk Town Hall | ||
| 200 Park Ave | |||
| PO Box 2049 | |||
| Banner Elk, NC 28604 | |||
| Beech Mtn | Beech Mtn Community Center | ||
| 60 Flat Springs Rd | |||
| Elk Park, NC 28622 | |||
| Careys Flat | New Hopewell Bapt. Church | ||
| 5086 Edgemont Rd | |||
| Collettsville, NC 28728 | |||
| Cranberry | Cranberrian Corp. | ||
| 5215 Elk Park Hwy | |||
| PO Box 504 | |||
| Elk Park, NC 28622 | |||
| Elk Park | Elk Park Rescue Squad Building | ||
| 205 Ice Plant St. | |||
| Elk Park, NC 28622 | |||
| Frank | Frank Fire Department | ||
| 699 N US Hwy 19 E | |||
| Newland, NC 28657 | |||
| Heaton | Heaton Christian Church | ||
| 210 Curtis Creek Rd | |||
| PO Box 217 | |||
| Elk Park, NC 28622 | |||
| Hughes | Chestnut Dale Bapt. Church | ||
| 1700 Squirrel Creek Rd | |||
| Newland, NC 28657 | |||
| Ingalls | Green Valley Fire Dept | ||
| 8602 S US Hwy 19 E | |||
| PO Box 595 | |||
| Spruce Pine, NC 28777 | |||
| Linville | Linville Fire Dept | ||
| 590 NC Hwy 105 | |||
| PO Box 274 | |||
| Linville, NC 28646 | |||
| Minneapolis | Minneapolis Bapt. Church | ||
| 47 Minneapolis School Rd. | |||
| PO Box 38 | |||
| Minneapolis, NC 28652 | |||
| Montezuma | Aaron Bapt. Church | ||
| 24 Aaron Church Lane | |||
| PO Box 266 | |||
| Montezuma, NC 28653 | |||
| Newland#1 | Morrision Library | ||
| 150 Library Place | |||
| PO Box 250 | |||
| Newland, NC 28657 | |||
| Newland#2 | Avery County Senior Center | ||
| 160 Schultz Circle | |||
| Newland, NC 28657 | |||
| Pineola | Land Harbors | ||
| 22 Land Harbor Plaza | |||
| PO Box 160 | |||
| Linville, NC 28646 | |||
| Plumtree | Plumtree Presbyterian Church | ||
| 19 E | |||
| Newland, NC 28657 | |||
| Pyatte | Pyatte Community Bldg | ||
| 156 Buck Hill Rd | |||
| Newland, NC 28657 | |||
| Roaring Creek | Roaring Creek | ||
| Freewill Bapt. Church | |||
| 1736 Roaring Creek Rd. | |||
| PO Box 43 | |||
| Plumtree, NC 28664 | |||
In preparation for Tuesday’s primary election, the North Carolina State Board of Elections is providing 10 tips for Election Day voting, which include:
- What is a primary? In a primary election, voters select which candidates will appear on the ballot for a given political party in the general election in November. For example, the winner of a Republican Party primary will be that party’s nominee on the ballot for the November general election.
- Who can vote?Voters who are registered with one of the five recognized political parties (Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, or Republican) may only cast a ballot in that party’s primary election. Unaffiliated voters may request a Democratic, Libertarian, or Republican ballot, or nonpartisan ballot, if available. Unaffiliated voters may not vote ballots of the Constitution or Green parties, as those parties conduct closed primaries.
- When can I vote?Polls across North Carolina are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. Lines tend to be longer before and after normal business hours.
- Where do I vote?Find your Election Day polling place at the State Board website: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/.
- Which contests and candidates are on my ballot?Sample ballots are available through the State Board’s Voter Lookup tool: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.
- Casting your ballot:Voters will either fill out a paper ballot or use a ballot marking device that produces a paper record. If you hand-mark a paper ballot, completely fill in the oval to the left of each candidate or selection using a black pen. If you tear, deface or wrongly mark the ballot, you may request a replacement. Always verify your selections before inserting your ballot into the tabulator, and make sure you have voted all pages of the ballot.
- No same-day registration:Same-day registration is not available on Election Day. Verify your registration status and political party affiliation with the Voter Lookup tool.
- Assistance at polls:Voters who need assistance at the polls must request that assistance. Individuals who are unable to enter the polling place may vote curbside. Once inside the polling place, voters who experience difficulties should request help from a poll worker.
- No photo ID:In a December 31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the court. The North Carolina Court of Appeals also temporarily blocked the law on February 18, 2020.
- Conduct at polls:The State Board asks that all voters respect the right of others to participate in the election. Intimidating any voter is a crime. Voters who feel harassed or intimidated should notify an election official immediately. To report an election incident to the State Board, submit it online at: https://goo.gl/v1yGew.
For more information, visit the State Board’s website at ncsbe.gov.