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Blowing Rock’s Annual “State of the Town” Event is Thursday, August 15th at 5:30 p.m.

August 14, 2024 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Community and Government Committee in partnership with the Town of Blowing Rock invite all residents and business owners to attend the annual State of the Town event Thursday, August 15th  at 5:30 pm at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) in the Community Meeting Room.  The event will be recorded for anyone who cannot attend. The link to the You Tube video can be found on the Chamber’s website www.LoveBlowingRock.com or the Town of Blowing Rock’s website www.TownofBlowingRock.com 

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The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections Comes to Boone August 21st

August 8, 2024 On Wednesday, August 21st The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections will host the next town hall of the 2024 election cycle in Boone, NC. This event is part of a series that will feature dozens of events across the state to address public concerns around voting in North Carolina and to strengthen civil discourse. This event will be hosted at Appalachian State University in the Parkway Ballroom at the Plemmons Student Union from 6:30-8:00 PM. It will be moderated by Retired Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr. The panel will also feature Watauga County’s Elections Director, Matt Snyder, as well as Board of Elections Member Leta Councill from Watauga County, Carolyn Bunker from Guilford County, and former member of the Watauga County Board of Elections, Four Eggers.

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State Board of Elections Recognizes We The People as Official NC Political Party

July 17, 2024 Raleigh, NC — The State Board of Elections on Tuesday recognized the We The People Party of North Carolina as an official political party in the state. Recognition of this party means voters now have eight choices of party affiliation when registering to vote or updating an existing registration. Voters may register with the Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, No Labels, Republican, or We The People parties, or they can register as unaffiliated. This recognition also means that voters currently registered with a different political party or as unaffiliated may switch their affiliation to the We The People Party if they wish. For information on how to do that, see Updating Registration.

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NC State Board of Elections Recognizes Constitution Party as Official NC Political Party

July 10, 2024 The State Board of Elections on Tuesday recognized the Constitution Party of North Carolina as an official political party in the state. Recognition of this party means voters now have another choice of party affiliation when registering to vote or updating an existing registration. Voters may register with the Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, No Labels, or Republican parties, or they can register as unaffiliated. This recognition also means that voters currently registered with a different political party or as unaffiliated may switch their affiliation to the Constitution Party if they wish. For information on how to do that, see Updating Registration.

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Public Comment Period Set for Proposed Changes to Rules About Election Protests and Recounts

June 18, 2024 The State Board of Elections is proposing temporary amendments to rules governing election protests and recounts so that post-election proceedings are completed in a timely fashion. The rules would be in effect on a temporary basis, to ensure that they can become effective before the general election. Gaps in the current timelines for election protests and recounts can lead to unnecessary delays in the final certification of elections. In recent years, election protest decisions and appeals have led to delays in certification for weeks, or even months, after an election. Such delays could be especially problematic in a presidential election, because federal law sets a strict deadline for states to certify their selection of presidential electors, in advance of the Electoral College meeting.

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Watauga County GOP Women’s Club Next Monthly Meeting is Wednesday June 26

June 17, 2024 The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on  Wednesday June 26th at The Dan’l Boone Inn, 130 Hardin Street, Boone, NC. Lunch at 11:30 AM for $14.00, with meeting to follow. All interested in furthering the Republican cause in The High Country are welcome to attend and are invited to join. Call 828-832-6864 for more information. The WCRWC usually meets the last Wednesday of each month. See us on Facebook and learn more.

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#UniteNC “Ready to Vote” Training in Watauga to Address NC’s Major 2024 Elections Changes

June 10, 2024 As the 2024 elections cycle heats up, North Carolinians will be getting a heads-up on the state’s new voting rules and maps. On Tuesday, July 23th, the #UniteNC Watauga County “Ready to Vote” Community Education Training is coming to Boone. The meeting location is Watauga County Public Library. Members of the public can RSVP and save their seat for this 75-minute educational event at ccnc.me/WataugaTrain

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Watauga County Republican Women’s Club Next Monthly Meeting is Wednesday May 29

May 14, 2024 The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on Wednesday May 29 at The Dan’l Boone Inn, 130 Hardin Street, Boone, NC. Lunch at 11:30 AM for $14.00, with meeting to follow. All interested in furthering the Republican cause in The High Country are welcome to attend and are invited to join. Call 828-832-6864 for more information. The WCRWC usually meets the last Wednesday of each month. See us on Facebook and learn more.

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Watauga County Republican Women’s Club Next Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, March 26

March 21, 2024 The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 26 at The Dan’l Boone Inn, 130 Hardin Street, Boone, NC. Dinner at 5:00PM for $14.00, with meeting to follow. All interested in furthering the Republican cause in The High Country are welcome to attend and are invited to join. Call 828-832-6864 for more information. The WCRWC usually meets the last Wednesday of each month. See us on Facebook and learn more. 

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2024 Avery Primary Election Results… Burnop, Webb, and Wright Claim School Board Seats; Incumbents Aldridge and Phillips Join Benfield in Winning County Commission Republican Primary

March 6, 2024 Three first-time candidates for county offices and two incumbents won in their respective races to highlight Tuesday’s Primary Election in Avery County. In the Republican County Commissioners race, incumbent Dennis Aldridge received the highest number of votes with 1,860.  His fellow-incumbent, Tim Phillips, finished second with 1,841 votes. Junior Benfield finished third with 1,661 votes. Jason Grindstaff was fourth with 1,396 votes. Former county commissioner Bill Beuttell finished fifth with 1,387 votes and Josh Aldridge was sixth with 792 votes. By Tim Gardner

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Virginia Foxx Statement on 2024 Primary Election Victory


March 6, 2024 Virginia Foxx today released the following statement on her victory in the Republican primary election for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. “Republican primary voters sent a clear message today: they are ready to send a reliable conservative who knows how to get things done back to Congress. Thank you to each voter who supported my campaign and endorsed my track-record of conservative solutions. I look forward to earning their support this fall. “The out-of-control immigration crisis–which has spiraled into a national security catastrophe on Joe Biden’s watch–will end only when we have leadership in the White House that is committed to enforcing our immigration laws AND stopping the onslaught of illegal immigration. Now more than ever, we need leaders in Washington who are serious about the issues facing the people of North Carolina–who will fight to preserve their rights and make the federal government work for them. 

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Some Election Results Will Be Reported Later Than Usual Due to State Law Changes

February 28, 2024 As a result of recent changes in state law, in-person early voting results will be reported later than usual on election night for the 2024 primary. This, in turn, may cause Election Day results to be reported later as well. Previously, county boards of elections could tabulate early voting results before the close of polls, then report those results almost immediately at 7:30 p.m. on election night. Under changes made in Session Law 2023-140 (Section 29), county boards must wait until 7:30 p.m. to “close the polls” on early voting tabulators and begin the process of counting and reporting results of ballots cast during the early voting period. This process will take an estimated 30 to 60 minutes – and possibly longer in some counties – before unofficial early voting results can be posted publicly on the State Board of Elections’ Election Results Dashboard.

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The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club Monthly Meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 28

February 16, 2024 The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on Wednesday, Wednesday, February 28, at Mike’s Inland Seafood, 174 Jefferson Road, Boone, NC. Come at 11:30AM for lunch. The meeting will begin at noon. All interested in furthering the Republican cause in The High Country are welcome to attend and are invited to join. Call 828-832-6864 for more information. The WCRWC meets the last Wednesday of each month. See us on Facebook and learn more. Should Watauga County Schools close or change to remote learning due to the weather, we will not meet.

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February 9th Voter Registration Deadline Approaching for March 5 Primary Election

February 6, 2024  Eligible North Carolinians who want to cast their ballot in person on Primary Election Day – Tuesday, March 5 – must register to vote by Friday, Feb. 9. Feb. 9 is also the deadline for registered voters to change their party affiliation before the primary. Under state law, the regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election. Individuals who miss the deadline may register and vote during the in-person early voting period, which runs from Feb. 15 through March 2, at any early voting site in their county.

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Watauga County Releases Sample Ballots for Primary Election to be Held March 5th

January 5, 2024 The Watauga County Board of Elections has released ballot samples for North Carolina’s primary election to be held on March 5, 2024. The following ballots are: D0001 for the Democratic ballot; L0002 for the Libertarian ballot; R0003 for the Republican ballot and N0004 for the Nonpartisan ballot. Unaffiliated voters can choose any ballot. Green and No Labels Party members can only choose the Nonpartisan ballot which only has the Board of Education contest on it.

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Absentee Ballot Request Portal Now Open for 2024 Presidential Primary

January 5, 2024 Raleigh, N.C. — Any registered and eligible North Carolina voter may now request an absentee ballot for the 2024 primary election online through the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal, available at votebymail.ncsbe.gov. The absentee ballot portal is the simplest, most efficient, and most accessible way to request an absentee ballot in North Carolina.

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State Board Opens Public Comment Period on Temporary Election Observer Rules

December 2, 2023 The State Board of Elections invites the public to comment on three proposed temporary rules: two governing challenges and appeals regarding political party-appointed election observers, and one addressing the requirement for observers to wear identification at the polls, so voters and election officials are aware of the observer’s role in the voting site.

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Rep. Ray Pickett named a 2023 Jobs Champion by the NC Chamber

November 14, 2023 RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC Chamber named Rep. Ray Pickett a 2023 Jobs Champion in its annual How They Voted report. How They Voted details state legislators’ voting records on bills identified as critical to preserving and enhancing North Carolina’s position in the global race for jobs. Rep. Pickett was recognized as a Jobs Champion for voting with the Chamber’s Jobs Agenda 93 percent of the time during the 2023 legislative session.

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Voter Registration Deadlines Approaching for 2023 Municipal Elections

September 8, 2023 Raleigh, N.C. — Voter registration deadlines are approaching for eligible individuals who wish to vote on Election Day in October and November municipal elections in North Carolina. The regular registration deadlines are as follows: 5 p.m. Friday, September 15 for municipal elections on October 10.; 5 p.m. Friday, October 13 for municipal elections on November 7.

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Watauga County Republican’s Women’s Club Announces September Meeting

September 4, 2023 The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 27th at the Dan’l Boone Inn in Boone, NC. The meeting will begin at noon. All interested in furthering the Republican cause in The High Country are welcome to attend and are invited to join. Call 828-832-6864 for more information. The WCRWC normally meets on the last Wednesday of each month.

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State Board Recognizes No Labels as a Political Party

August 14, 2023 The State Board of Elections on Sunday voted to recognize the No Labels Party as an official political party in North Carolina. Recognition of No Labels means voters now have another choice of party affiliation when registering to vote or updating their registration. Voters may register with the Democratic, Green, Libertarian, No Labels, or Republican parties, or they can register as unaffiliated.

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