Henderson, Transylvania, Polk counties see strong early-voting numbers

Area Board of Elections reported strong numbers for 2022 Early Voting, which was held Oct. 20-Nov. 5, and are expecting the same for Election Day.

At the Henderson County Board of Elections, there were 2,932 accepted mail ballots and 28,851 one-stop ballots, according to Director of Elections, Karen Hebb.

"The one-stop process went very smoothly. We had four sites around the county, so there were very few lines at any location," she said on Nov. 7. "We have 88,934 registered voters, so we have already voted 36%."

She wanted to remind voters that there will be no voting at the Henderson County Board of Elections on Election Day.

"The polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Anyone who does not know where to vote can find it on our website at www.hendersoncountync.gov/elections or call our office at 828-697-4970," she said.

In Transylvania County, the numbers were also strong, according to Jeff Storey, who is the Director of Elections for the Transylvania Board of Elections.

"We had an excellent team working early voting and received a lot of good feedback on the smooth and orderly process. In Transylvania County, we had one early voting site with 9,432 voters, which equates to about 35% turnout," Storey said on Nov. 7. "We have received 571 absentee by mail ballots to date which is a little higher than 2018. We’re expecting a good turnout for Election Day across our 15 precinct locations and our election officials are ready to help."

Polk County also had just one early-voting site, and the total number of votes was up from the last election, according to Cliff Marr, the Director of Elections.

"We had 5,606 votes. It went very well, with no problems to report at all," he said on Nov. 7.

In 2018, Polk had about 5,500 votes for early voting, Marr said, and in that election, there was an extra day for early voters.

"The turnout is slightly higher, for sure, than in 2018. We do expect a big turnout for Election Day," he said. "We've been working hard getting ready for Tuesday. We've been out since 7 this morning at the precincts, and we're about halfway done. It's a huge undertaking getting everything ready on the Monday before Election Day."

Statewide, the Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections reported that more than 2.1 million people, including 819,553 Democrats, 673,117 Republicans and 649,483 Unaffiliated, have voted in NC during the early voting period at 359 polling locations, without any major incidents or disruptions.

According to a press release, that number represents almost 29% of registered voters.

“These positive early voting experiences show that North Carolinians care about democracy, and that we support each person’s right to vote safely and securely,” former NC House Speaker Pro Tem Skip Stam, a Republican member of the NC Network, said in the release.

Democratic attorney Janice Cole, who served on the panel for the Edenton NC Trusted Elections town hall, added, “Democracy is not a spectator sport. It's the combined efforts of us all, across party lines, to build and maintain a safe and secure voting system.”

The NC Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections hosted a series of 15 town halls across the state, one in each congressional district and a virtual event for those unable to attend in-person. This Trusted Elections Tour featured elections professionals, cyber security experts, and attorneys to provide information on the electoral process, build trust in our voting system, and strengthen civil discourse, the release said.

The town halls reached more than 1,100 people in person and online, and over one million through media reports.

“Many thanks to the panelists and experts who joined our town halls to inform voters about our system in NC,” Jennifer Roberts, a co-leader for the NC Network, said in the release. “We also appreciate the media’s help in spreading accurate information, which clearly has helped voters know that their votes are safe and secure.”

The virtual town hall can be viewed at www.NCTrustedElections.com.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson, Transylvania, Polk counties see strong numbers for early voting