The Macon County Board of Elections has set the calendar for the Town of Franklin and Town of Highlands elections to be held later this year.
Franklin Mayor Jack Horton and three Town Council members – David Culpepper, Stacy Guffey and Rita Salain – are up for election. The mayor serves a two-year term, and the filing fee is $72. The council members serve four years and have a $36 filing fee. Horton is currently serving his second term as mayor. Salain and Guffey, who is serving as vice mayor, were first elected to the council in 2021 and Culpepper is serving his second term.
In February, Guffey, addressed an anonymous letter writer’s questions about his residency. He lives on the upper floor of the building he owns on Main Street. (The building also houses the Scottish Tartans Museum.) The writer said Guffey was living in the county, outside town limits. After providing proof of his Franklin residency, Guffey said he planned to run for re-election this year.
Culpepper said on April 29 that as of this time he is not planning to run for re-election. “I’m hoping we’ll get a whole new crop of people to run,” he said. “But we’re still a couple of months out.”
Horton and Salain have not said if they are running for re-election yet.
Highlands election
Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor is up for election as are town commissioners Amy Patterson and Eric Pierson. All are elected to four-year terms. The filing fee for the mayor’s seat is $10 and the fee for the commissioners is $5.
Election calendar
Candidate filing begins at 8 a.m. July 7 and ends at noon on July 18. The last day a candidate can withdraw is 5 p.m. on July 15.
Early voting will be held Oct. 16-Nov. 1 with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Absentee by mail begins Oct. 3 and the last day to request absentee by mail is Oct. 21. Nov. 3 is the last day for uniformed and overseas citizens to request an absentee by mail ballot.
The municipal elections are open only to voters living within the town limits for 30 days or more. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 10.
For more information, contact the Macon County Board of Elections at 828-349-2034 or visit maconnc.org/board-of-elections. The office is located on the first floor of the Macon County Courthouse.