Early voting ends Saturday

Paul B. Johnson, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·3 min read

Feb. 29—HIGH POINT — If you want to vote early in this year's primary election, you have either today or Saturday to cast a ballot.

Early voting, which began Feb. 15, includes the presidential primary that's part of Super Tuesday, races for governor and other statewide offices, contests for Congress and the N.C. General Assembly and local races for school boards, county boards of commissioners and county judgeships.

Hours for early voting in counties across the state are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Early voting in Guilford County is taking place at 17 polls, including four in the greater High Point area:

—Washington Terrace Park, 101 Gordon St.

—The Roy B. Culler Jr. Senior Center at the former Oak Hollow Mall, 921 Eastchester Drive, Suite 1230.

—Jamestown Town Hall, 301 E. Main St.

—Deep River Recreation Center, 1529 Skeet Club Road.

In Randolph County, early voting is being held at four sites, including the poll for the northern part of the county at the Braxton Craven school gymnasium at 7037 N.C. 62 in Trinity.

In Davidson County, early voting takes place at five polls, including the Thomasville area site at the public library at 14 Randolph St.

If you miss the chance to vote early, you have one final opportunity to make your choices known on primary election day Tuesday when the hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at your local precinct.

In Guilford County, the early voting primary turnout is ahead of the pace of the last presidential election, in 2020, Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said.

"It's ahead, not by a ton, but it is," he said. "I'm very pleased with the turnout."

Collicutt attributes the increased turnout in part to the contested Republican primary in the 6th Congressional District and three competitive state House primaries, two on the Republican side and one on the Democratic ballot.

"What drives turnout in primaries is the candidates," he told The High Point Enterprise.

In Davidson County, the pace of early voting is tracking with the 2020 primary, Elections Director Andrew Richards said. He attributes that in part to a contested Republican primary for the 80th state House District between Rep. Sam Watford, R-Davidson, and former state legislator Eddie Gallimore, and the primary featuring 12 Republicans running for three seats on the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. Davidson County voters also are casting ballots for the GOP primary in the 6th Congressional District.

"Turnout for early voting started out slow, but it has picked up in the last five days, getting our average back to where it was for 2020," Richards said.

In Randolph County the pace of early voting has been slower than 2020, though it has picked up in the past week, Elections Director Melissa Kirstner said.

"We're hopeful we'll have a good turnout through election day," she said.

Kirstner attributes the lower turnout this year compared to 2020 to having only one local primary contest, which is a three-candidate Republican race for District 5 on the Randolph County Board of Commissioners.

Winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries advance as their party's nominees for the fall general election.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul