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Thursday Marks First Day of One-Stop Voting, 1,000 Vote Through Most of First Day

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Oct. 20, 2016. During the lunch hour on Thursday, a few candidates were talking to voters and passing out pamphlets on the first day of early voting in the 2016 general election. Boone attorney Josh Teague, a candidate for the Chief District Judge in the 24th district, incumbent Watauga County Board of Commissioner John Welch (District 2) and his challenger Elizabeth Shukis were standing on the corner of Water Street and King Street. By Jesse Wood

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Local Campaigns Compete for Cash in WNC

Oct. 20, 2016. Candidates for local government seats in Western North Carolina have raised thousands of dollars in their election bids this year, leading to widespread advertising campaigns and signs along roadways across the region. Carolina Public Press analyzed campaign finance documents for candidates who reported raising more than $1,000, the amount that triggers state-mandated filing requirements. BY MICHAEL GEBELEIN / Carolina Public Press

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Early Voting Begins Thursday Morning, See One-Stop Times, Locations and Ballots

Oct. 19, 2016. Early voting in the general election begins on Thursday at 8 a.m. For most of the first week in Watauga County, early voting is confined at the Administration Building (beside the courthouse) on King Street. Starting on Oct. 27, early voting will move out into the other one-stop sites on the App State campus, Blowing Rock, Deep Gap, Meat Camp and Cove Creek. In Avery County, the only one-stop voting site is the Avery County Board of Elections office within the Avery County Courthouse in Newland. Early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. By Jesse Wood

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Registration Deadline for Election Day Voting is Friday, Same-Day Available for One-Stop

Oct. 12, 2016. While Friday, Oct. 14 is listed as the last day to register to vote for the general election during Election Day, note that same-day registration is available during the early-voting or one-stop period. A Fourth Circuit of Appeals ruling this summer struck down the Voter ID law that eliminated same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting. Now all of the Voter ID law requirements are out the window. By Jesse Wood

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Judicial Elections Preview: Not as Popular as Other Races But Important, See Videos


Oct. 6, 2016. While there is certainly no shortage in this state of attention devoted to candidates for president, governor or the U.S. Senate, judicial elections are another matter. But the candidates seeking election to North Carolina’s Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court and District Court are essential to our system of justice and the preservation of democracy and the rule of law.

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NCGOP 2016 State Convention Recap

May 12, 2016. The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) held its annual state convention in Greensboro, North Carolina over the weekend. Delegates to the state convention conducted important business affecting this year’s election cycle and our Party going forward.

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Five File for NC’s 5th Congressional District, Primary Held on June 7

March 30, 2016. Three Democrats and two Republicans filed their candidacy for the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina in the U.S. House. Filing closed at the end of last week. Jim Roberts of Pilot Mountain, Josh Brannon of Boone and Charlie Wallin of Boone all filed for the Democratic primary, while incumbent Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk and Pattie Curran of Kernersville filed for the Republican primary. By Jesse Wood

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Boone Attorney Joshua Teague Announces Candidacy for District Court Judge

March 28, 2016. Local attorney Joshua J. (Josh) Teague is pleased to announce his candidacy for District Court Judge for the 24th Judicial District of North Carolina. The 24th District encompasses Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Madison counties. The campaign will hold a Campaign Kick-Off and Meet the Candidate event on Wednesday, April 13 at Vidalia Restaurant in Boone from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

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Civic Leader, Activist John Hood to Speak at ASU on Thursday, Free to the Public

March 23, 2016. John Hood, recently named head of the John William Pope Foundation on Higher Education and chairman of the board of the John Locke Foundation, will speak on March 24 at 7 p.m. in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on campus. These public lectures are being offered in advance of the 2016 election season to address concerns of North Carolina citizens and to better inform the public about issues facing the state. A question and answer session will follow the presentations. The events are free and open to the public.

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Voter Turnout On Par With Past Two Primaries During Presidential Election Years

March 16, 2016. Statewide voter turnout in the 2016 North Carolina primary was 35 percent, which is about the same percentage for the turnout in the 2012 and 2008 presidential primaries. See the graphs below. In Watauga County, 16,026 ballots were cast compared to 43,682 registered voters. This represents a voter turnout of nearly 37 percent, according to data provided by the State Board of Elections. By Jesse Wood

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Two Hours To Vote in NC Primary

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March 15, 2016. Voting in the 2016 North Carolina primary continues until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. “We’ve been pretty busy,” Watauga County Board of Elections Director Matt Snyder said on Tuesday at about 5 p.m. For more last-minute details on where to vote in the primary, click here. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie

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Donald Trump Holds Monday Rally in Hickory

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March 15, 2016. Republican presidential candidate frontrunner Donald Trump held a rally at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Monroe Auditorium on Monday afternoon. The rally was scheduled for 10 a.m. but was delayed because Trump’s plan couldn’t land in Hickory because of the fog. He ended up having to fly to Charlotte and commute to Hickory. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Lonnie Webster

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Exit Polls Conducted at Precincts in Watauga

March 15, 2016. If you are voting in the presidential primary today in the High Country – and likely elsewhere in the North Carolina and the other states on Super Tuesday II, you are likely be questioned for an exit poll. In one of the municipal precincts in Watauga County, a person working for a national polling service company, which feeds national news outlets such as the AP, Fox News and ABC, asked voters questions after they came out of the polls.

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Christian Action League of North Carolina Endorses Ted Cruz for POTUS

March 10, 2016. Dr. Mark Creech, executive director, released the following statement Thursday morning: “We are witnessing possibly the most dangerous time in American history. It’s not that our great country hasn’t faced incredible challenges in the past, but today the enemies of our Republic strike at the heart of our national identity – the meaning of America. Such issues will determine the preservation of liberty for the generations to come.

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Counts & Marsh Seek To Represent Dems in November Race for District 93 in NC House

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March 8, 2016. In the March 15 primary, Ronnie Marsh and Sue Counts are vying to represent the Democrats in the race for the District 93 seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives that covers Ashe and Watauga counties. The winner will face either Republicans Lew Hendricks or incumbent Jonathan Jordan in the general election in November. By Jesse Wood

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Early Voting Begins Thursday, See Sample Ballots, One-Stop Locations and Hours

March 1, 2016. Early voting for the March 15 primary begins on Thursday, March 3 at several locations around Watauga County and at the Avery County Board of Elections office in Avery County. Although the voter registration deadline prior to early voting has passed, same-day registration is available at any of the one-stop voting locations. By Jesse Wood

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North Carolina Judicial Candidate Evaluations Ready for March 15 Primary

Feb. 24, 2016. Evaluations of candidates seeking election in North Carolina to District and Superior Court judgeships in 2016 have been completed in time for the March 15 primary. The survey reports, generated by the North Carolina Bar Association and its Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee, are available at electNCjudges.org.

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SBOE Mandates Watauga BOE To Include Early Voting Site for Primary at App State

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The State Board of Elections unanimously voted to include an early voting site at Plemmons Student Union on the campus of Appalachian State University for the March primary. The Wednesday ruling was 4-0 with one of the three Republicans – Chair Grant Whitney – abstaining from the vote. The State Board of Elections was tasked with choosing a one-stop plan for Watauga County because the local county board of elections didn’t unanimously select a one-stop plan in January. By Jesse Wood – Photo by Lonnie Webster

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