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Early voting in Cabarrus lags in municipal election

Photo by James Nix

Concord resident Jim May votes during early voting at the Concord Board of Elections Tuesday afternoon.

By Karen Cimino Wilson | Independent Tribune

Published: October 28, 2009

The turnout at Cabarrus County's One Stop Early Voting has been slow compared to last year's record turnout during the presidential election and compared to the last municipal election in 2007, but that only makes it more convenient, say those who voted Tuesday.

Early voting started on Oct. 15 and ends at 1 p.m. Saturday. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 230 people had cast their ballots through early voting. Last year, early voting drew 29,879 voters in Cabarrus County.

The turnout for the 2008 election that put President Barack Obama in office was 71.81 percent.

"A lot of those were new voters who had never voted before," said Linda Grist, director of the Cabarrus County Board of Elections. "We really planned this year for an election that would be much larger than the election in 2007. We thought the momentum would still be there from last year."

In 2007, the last municipal election held in Cabarrus County drew about 531 voters to early voting. Grist is just hoping to match that number this year.

Voting earlier makes life a lot simpler, said Jim May, of Concord. May said he always votes in municipal elections as well as in big election years.

"This is our community," he said. "It's just good to vote for the people who influence our community."
May voted at the Cabarrus County Board of Election office in downtown Concord on Tuesday.

"I came down here to my post office box (next door) and I saw the signs and I thought, 'There's no line there,'" he said.

Donald Stone, also a Concord resident, said he uses early voting some years, and votes on Election Day in other years.

"If I can catch the early voting, I usually try to do it," he said. "Usually, there are no lines."
Stone encouraged others to cast their vote every year, not just during presidential elections.

"Every chance I get to vote, I try to vote," Stone said. "It's one of our freedoms we have to vote and I want my voice to be heard."

Grist said another reason to vote early is that you can still register to vote and vote during One Stop Early Voting. Unregistered voters will be turned away on Election Day, next Tuesday.

Early voting also is recommended for voters who have changed their address. On Election Day, voters who have changed their address have to report to their old precincts and then transfer to their new precincts. Voting early means you only have one stop, Grist said.

One Stop Early Voting is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Early voting is available at the Board of Election office, 53 Corban Ave. S.E., Concord. Parking is available in the back of the building. Disabled voters can ring a bell for service and a poll worker will bring the ballot to you.

Polls will be open on Election Day, which is Tuesday, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Grist said this year precinct 14 will move from Harrisburg Fire Department to Hickory Ridge High School, 7321 Ragin' Ridge Road, Harrisburg.

Also, Mount Pleasant residents will vote at Mount Pleasant Middle School, 8325 N.C. 49 N., Mount Pleasant.

For more information about early voting or Election Day, visit www.cabarruscounty.us/elections. Election Day results will be posted on the Web site when the polls close on Tuesday.