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Over 5,900 Voters in Watauga County Take Advantage of One-Stop Early Voting for March 3 Primary

By Nathan Ham

During the 13-day early voting period in Watauga County, 5,915 votes were counted across the seven early voting locations inside the county.

The Plemmons Student Union location saw the most votes with 2,811. The county administration building on King Street had the second most votes with 1,532. Blowing Rock had 469 early votes, followed by Deep Gap with 347, Western Watauga with 331, Meat Camp with 240 and Foscoe with 185.

Democratic ballots were the overwhelming majority of votes cast in the primary with 4,636. Republican ballots accounted for 1,241 early votes while the Libertarian Party had 34 votes, the Green Party had two votes and the Constitution Party had two votes.

Tuesday should still be a busy day for voting across the High Country. The polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. at the 20 precincts across Watauga County.

Watauga County Precinct Locations

Bald Mountain (Precinct 1) – Todd Fire Department

Beaver Dam (Precinct 2) – Beaver Dam Fire Department

Blowing Rock (Precinct 3) – Blowing Rock Town Hall

Blue Ridge (Precinct 4) – Laurel Fork Baptist Church

Boone 1 (Precinct 5) – Watauga County Administration Building

Boone 2 (Precinct 6) – ASU Plemmons Student Union

Brushy Fork (Precinct 7) – Oak Grove Baptist Church

Cove Creek (Precinct 8) – Zionville Fire Station #2

Elk (Precinct 9) – Stewart Simmons Fire Department

Laurel Creek (Precinct 10) – Cove Creek Fire Department

Meat Camp (Precinct 11) – Meat Camp Fire Department

Boone 3 (Precinct 12) – Agricultural Conference Center

New River 1 (Precinct 13) – Boone Town Hall

New River 2 (Precinct 14) – Three Forks Baptist Church Association

New River 3 (Precinct 15) – National Guard Armory

North Fork (Precinct 16) – Edgar Eller’s Garage

Shawneehaw (Precinct 17) – Matney Community Center

Stony Fork (Precinct 18) – Deep Gap Fire Department

Watauga (Precinct 19) – Foscoe Fire Department

Beech Mountain (Precinct 20) – Buckeye Recreation Center

10 Tips for Voting on Election Day

In preparation for Tuesday’s primary election, the North Carolina State Board of Elections is providing 10 tips for Election Day voting.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Where do I vote?: Find your Election Day polling place at the State Board website: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/.
  5. 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/.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.