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Election Day for Municipals Nearly One-Month Away, Early Voting Starts in Two Weeks

By Jesse Wood

Election Day is nearly a month away and early voting starts in two weeks.

Important municipal election-related dates begin this weekend as absentee-by-mail voting begins on Sunday, Oct. 8. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13, but same-day registration is available.

Only two weeks away, it’s still unclear what the early voting plan will be in Watauga County. Currently, the State Board of Elections is in limbo during the lawsuit between Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican legislative leaders.

When a one-stop plan vote isn’t unanimous, like Watauga County Board of Election’s September vote for one-stop sites, the decision is passed on to the State Board of Elections if board members petition alternate plans.

Watauga County Elections Director Matt Snyder said that the default one-stop plan (after a non-unanimous vote) is for early voting to be held at the elections office on the ground floor of the courthouse during normal business hours.

“The case is still pending,” Snyder said on Thursday. “We hope to know what our final plan is next week … [but] we’ll be ready. We are trying to prepare for either situation, and hopefully we hear something next week.”

In the 2015 municipal election, nearly 600 people residing in Boone, Blowing Rock, Beech Mountain and Seven Devils, voted early in the Watauga County Administration Building that is located beside the courthouse.

One-stop voting begins on Oct. 19 and ends at 1 p.m. on Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 7. The polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. For election notices for each municipality, click here.

Several organizations are holding candidate forums for interested citizens to learn about the issues and each candidate’s stance on those issues. Blowing Rock and Boone are both host to two forums.

The Blowing Rock Civic Association is hosting a candidate round-table discussion on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 5:30 p.m. in the American Legion Building. See more info here.

The Blowing Rock Chamber will host a candidate forum on Monday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Blowing Rock School Auditorium.

The Appalachian State University SGA is organizing a forum for Boone candidates on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Linville Falls room on the second floor of Plemmons Student Union. 

The Boone Chamber will host a candidate forum on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Fairway Café in the Boone Golf Club. See more info here.

See the sample ballots for each municipal election Watauga County and Avery County below. For more information about the upcoming election, click to the Watauga County Board of Elections or call 828-265-8061; click to Avery County Board of Elections or call 828-733-8282. 

WATAUGA COUNTY SAMPLE BALLOTS

AVERY COUNTY SAMPLE BALLOTS