The Macon County Board of Elections will consolidate 12 precincts into a single polling place for the GOP second primary on June 23 and is urging voters to cast absentee ballots by mail as a safety precaution.
Voters who live in the North Franklin, South Franklin, East Franklin, Iotla, Union, Millshoal, Ellijay, Sugarfork, Smithbridge, Cartoogechaye, Burningtown and Cowee precincts will vote at the Robert C. Carpenter Building on Georgia Road. Voters who normally vote in the Flats Precinct will vote at the Highlands Precinct.
The Macon elections board’s request to consolidate polling places for the June 23 second primary was initially rejected by the N.C. Board of Elections
“The state came back and approved our original plan,’ said Gary Tallent, deputy director of the Macon County Board of Elections.
Precinct consolidation puts fewer election workers at risk, Tallent said.
“We have approximately 100 precinct officials in the county,” Tallent said. “I called every one and asked them if they would be willing to work in this primary. About 65 percent said yes, 35 percent said no. I also did an informal survey of our age group. The average age of our precinct officials is 65, and 55 were over 65.”
Another consideration is the requirement that each precinct have a chief judge charged with overseeing the voting, along with a representative from each of the two major parties to assist. The elections board was unable to fill those positions in three precincts.
“That was a huge factor,” Tallent said.
“By doing this in one location, we’re going to have about 15-18 workers instead of 100,” he said. “That’s a lot less of our people potentially exposed to the virus.”
Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn are running for the GOP nomination for the 11th Congressional District vacated by Mark Meadows. The winner will face Democratic nominee Moe David in November.
Early voting for the second primary opens Thursday, June 4 and runs through Saturday, June 20. Hours for early voting will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.
There will be no voting at the Macon County Courthouse on Election Day. Polls will be open on June 23 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Curbside voting will be available for those who are physically unable to enter the polling location. Only Republican voters or unaffiliated voters may cast ballots in the second primary.
Because of coronavirus concerns, election officials advise that voters cast absentee ballots by mail, but that is not required. Absentee voting will begin on May 9 and end on June 16.
The board recommends absentee voting, but is ready to safely accommodate walk-in voters.
“Each voter will be offered a mask if they don’t have one,” Tallent said. “We’ll have face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer and a sneeze barrier at each table. We’ll be sanitizing the equipment all day long. We’re trying to do everything we can to keep it as safe as possible.”
The required absentee form is available on the Board of Elections website, maconnc.org/board-of-elections.html.
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot for the second primary is 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 16.
For more information, call the elections office at 828-349-2034.
Filing opens for November election
Candidate filing for the 2020 general election opens at noon Monday, June 8 and will end at noon Monday, July 6. The following seats will be open for filing:
• School Board District 4 At Large (incumbent Jim Breedlove).
• School Board District 3 (Melissa Evans).
• School Board District 1 (Stephanie McCall).
• Soil & Water (Matt Mason).
Filing fee is $5 for these races.
The Macon County Board of Commissioners District Two seat will also be up for grabs in November, pitting Democrat Betty Cloer Wallace against Republican Josh Young.
Also on the November ballot will be Republican nominee Josh Young will face Betty Cloer Wallace for the Board of Commissioners District Two seat.
The Board of Election office is located in Room 127A on the first floor of the Macon County Courthouse, 5 W. Main St., Franklin.