Google Doodle US Elections 2014 - Where do I vote?
.(Photo: Seth Perlman/AP)
If going to the polls in early June feels a little strange, that"s OK -- it is.
North Carolina voters chose nominees for most offices that will be on the November ballot in primaries held March 15. The state usually holds primaries for federal and state offices in early May, but the General Assembly moved the date in hopes of making North Carolina more important in the presidential nomination contests.
However, two court decisions meant primaries for state Supreme Court and U.S. House could not be held until Tuesday. One struck down an attempt by the legislature to change the way Supreme Court justices are elected, the other found the state"s previous district lines for U.S. House seats unconstitutional. The legislature had to redraw the districts.
The timing of the court cases meant the primary votes could not be held March 15, so North Carolinians get to add to their collection of "I voted" stickers on Tuesday.
The other difference in Tuesday"s primary is that nearly 28,000 Buncombe County voters now live in a different congressional district than they did two years ago. Read on for more information about that and other aspects ofTuesday"s voting.
Question: Who gets to vote?
Answer: All registered voters can choose among the four candidates for Supreme Court.
Republicans and unaffiliated voters in the 10th Congressional District can choose among four candidates for the GOP nomination. Democrats and unaffiliated voters in the 11th District can vote in the Democratic primary there, where two candidates are running.
Q: Do unaffiliated voters have to vote in the same party"s primary as in March?
A: No. That rule only applies when there is a primary and then a runoff primary.
Q: Will there be a runoff after Tuesday"s primary?
A: No. The top two vote-getters among the candidates for Supreme Court justice will be on the general election ballot in November.Whichever U.S. House candidates get the most votes gettheir party"s nominations.
Q: Have the boundaries of the congressional districts changed?
A: Yes. In Buncombe County alone, 21,520 voters who used to be in the 11th District are now in the 10th, and 6,428 voters who used to be in the 11th are now in the 10th, according to county Elections Supervisor Trena Parker.The legislature shifted Avery County from the 11th District to the 5th.
Precincts that moved from the 10th to the 11th District include several on the western side of West Asheville, a few on the northern side of North Asheville, Woodfin and Biltmore Forest. Three precincts on the east side of Hendersonville Road in the Arden-Skyland areathat were in the 11th are now in the 10th.
The 10th District comprises Polk, Rutherford, Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties, almost all of Catawba County, a tiny slice of Iredell County and most of Asheville and the southeastern quadrant of Buncombe County. The district line cuts through West and North Asheville with those living in neighborhoods closer to downtown in the 10th and those farther away in the 11th.
The 11th District stretches from east of Lenoir to west of Murphy. It includes Caldwell, Burke, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties in the foothills and northern mountains; Madison and Henderson counties and the portion of Buncombe not in the 10th and all counties in the state west of there.
The Buncombe County Board of Elections sent postcards to voters whose congressional district changed this year.
Q: I"m still confused. How can I find out which congressional district I"m in before I vote?
A: The Buncombeelections boardwebsite, part of www.buncombecounty.org, has maps of the new districts.
The State Board of Elections website, www.ncsbe.gov, has a section where voters can findtheir registration and district information. Look for a link to "Voter/Absentee Lookup."
Or, you can call the county board at (828)250-4200. They might not beas busy as usual just before an election.
Q: Why do you say that?
A: As of midday Friday, only 1,139 people in Buncombe County had cast ballots during the early voting period, Parker said. That"s in contrast to nearly 32,000 early ballots cast for the March 15 primary in the county.
"My guess is (turnout) is going to be extremely low," she said.
Q: Where do I vote?
A: The same place as usual, unless you live in one of three Buncombe precincts. Because of conflicting events at the usual voting sites, voters there will go to the polling place of a nearby precinct.
--Those who usually vote at Arden First Baptist Church will instead vote at Skyland Fire Department, 9 Miller Road in Skyland.
--Montreat voters will vote at Black Mountain Elementary, 100 Flat Creek Road.
--Those who usually vote at Charles Bell ElementarySchool in East Asheville will instead vote at Haw Creek Elementary, 21 Trinity Chapel Road.
Q: When will polls be open?
A: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2016/06/04/what-you-need-know-tuesdays-primary-election/85375172/
