The 2023 municipal elections will include two firsts for town voters – they will use the new voting equipment purchased earlier this year and voters will need to show a photo identification as required by state law.
All races in the Town of Franklin election are uncontested. Mayor Jack Horton is up for re-election as are Vice Mayor Joe Collins and Town Council member Mike Lewis. Council member Adam Kimsey did not run for re-election; he was appointed in 2021 to serve out the two years in Horton’s term after he was elected mayor. Robbie Tompa is on the ballot to fill the third council seat up for election. The council members serve four-year terms, and the mayor serves a two-year term.
In Highlands, there are three seats open for the town’s Board of Commissioners. Incumbents John (Buz) Dotson and Brian J. Stiehler will face challengers Kay Craig, Jeff Weller and Rachel Wilson.
Sample ballots are available on the Board of Elections website at maconnc.org/board-of-elections.
With no contested races in Franklin, Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault is expecting a low voter turnout here. “I guess people are satisfied with the board,” she said of the Franklin election. “Really there will be more people voting in Highlands.”
Voting
Friday, Oct. 13 is the deadline to register to vote in the Franklin or Highlands town elections. You must live within the city limits to vote in the municipal elections. All voter registration changes must be made by 5 p.m.
Early voting begins Oct. 19 and continues through Nov. 4. The two polling locations for early voting are the Macon County Community Building, located at 1288 Georgia Rd., Franklin, and the Highlands Civic Center at 600 N. Street. People can vote at either location. Hours for the Franklin location are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Highlands location will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Absentee ballots will be available starting Friday, Oct. 6. Requests must be made by using a N.C. Absentee Request Form. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. Mailed ballots must be returned to the Macon County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Absentee ballots will be counted on Election Day.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. The polls will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. On election day you must vote at your town’s precinct. The polling location for Franklin is Franklin Town Hall, located at 95 E. Main St. The Highlands polling location is the Highlands Civic Center.
The canvass meeting will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
Voter IDs
State law now requires voters to show a photo identification when voting. Thibault said most people can use their driver’s license as a Voter ID. The license must be unexpired or expired for one year or less.
An ID card from the state DMV or a passport can be used as well as some student or government ID cards approved by the state. A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of an acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday.
The Macon County Board of Elections can make a free Voter ID card for anyone who does not have photo identification.
New voting equipment
The county purchased new voting equipment earlier this year. Thibault said voters will not notice much difference with the voting process and will still receive a paper ballot to complete. A how-to video for using the equipment is available on the Board of Elections website.
Thibault said the new equipment is easy to use and faster. She said the new system should help reduce the cost of running the elections because they no longer have to order ballots from another company. The machines are coded to print the ballots for each precinct. She said the cost of past town elections has been about $4,500 for each town.
Thibault said the staff has been training on the equipment and they will be training the poll workers on Oct. 17. Representatives from Hart, the company from which they bought the machines, will be on site during early voting and on Election Day.
Thibault said she is excited to use the new equipment and is glad they are using it for the first time this year rather than for next year’s General Election. She is expecting a big turnout next year and is already getting absentee ballot requests for next year’s primary election. “Next year will be a record turnout no matter who’s on the ballot,” she said.