The Historic Train Depot will be the site of the Mount Olive polling location for the Nov. 7 municipal election. However, beginning today, Oct. 19, one-stop voting will start at the Wayne County Public Library, 1001 E. Ash St. Goldsboro — the only one-stop location in Wayne County. One-top voting will continue through Nov. 4. Voters will be asked for a photo ID. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Political signs have sprung up across Mount Olive as candidates campaign for election to the town board. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
One-stop early voting in advance of the Tuesday, Nov. 7 municipal and sanitary district elections will begin today, Oct. 19, and continue through Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Wayne County Public Library, 1001 E. Ash St. in Goldsboro.
It will be the only one-stop voting location in the county.
On Election Day, the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Municipal and sanitary district elections are nonpartisan so there was no primary for either.
In Mount Olive, the Election Day polling location will be in the Historic Train Depot, 110 W. Main St.
All of the new municipal and sanitary district terms will begin on the first Monday in December.
Mount Olive voters will elect a mayor and five board members, all of whom serve two year-terms.
Mayor Kenny Talton did not seek reelection.
That office is being sought by current at-large Commissioner Steve Wiggins and Jerome Newton.
It is Newton’s second run for mayor. He failed to unseat Talton in the previous election.
Robert King and Danny Keel are facing off for the at-large seat.
District 1 Commissioner Vicky Darden, who is seeking her fourth term, is facing two challengers including the mother of a sitting town commissioner.
The challengers are Ann Carol Simmons, the mother of District 2 Commissioner Delreese Simmons, and Brenda Lee Simpson.
In District 2, Delreese Simmons is facing a challenge from former commissioner Harlie Carmichael whom he unseated in the previous election.
District 3 Commissioner Barbara Kornegay is the only uncontested candidate for town board.
District 4 Commission Tommy King is running for a second term and is being challenged by Blake Turner.
The one-stop voting schedule is:
- Thursday, Oct. 19: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 20: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 21: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 22: Closed
- Monday, Oct. 23: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 24: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 25: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 26: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 27: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 28: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 29: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 30: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 1: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 3: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Voters are reminded that starting with the 2023 municipal election, they will be asked to show a photo ID when they check in to vote.
Acceptable photo IDs include any of the following that is unexpired or expired for one year or less:
- North Carolina driver’s license.
- U.S. Passport Book/U.S. Passport Card.
- State ID from the N.C Division of Motor Vehicles (“non-operator ID”).
- N.C. Voter Photo ID card, issued by a county board of elections.
- College/university student ID approved by State Board of Elections.
- Charter school employee ID approved by State Board of Elections.
- State/local government employee ID approved by State Board of Elections.
- Driver’s license/non-driver ID from another state, D.C. or U.S. territory (only if the voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election).
Also acceptable are any of the following, regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date:
- Military or veteran ID card issued by the U.S. government.
- Tribal enrollment card issued by a state or federally recognized tribe.
- ID card issued by a U.S. government agency or the state of North Carolina for a public assistance program.
According to the Wayne County Board of Elections website, if you do not have a valid photo ID card on Election Day, you may still vote with a provisional ballot and have your vote counted by signing an affidavit of reasonable impediment (or “Photo ID Exception Form”) as to why you have not presented a valid photo ID.
The Exception Form can also be used if you have a religious objection to being photographed or are a victim of a recently declared natural disaster.
As an alternative, if you don’t have your ID when you vote, you can still vote a provisional ballot and then bring your valid photo ID to your county board of elections by 5 p.m. on the ninth day after Election Day (the day before the county vote canvass).
The canvass will be held Friday, Nov. 17.
For informationon voter photo ID, visit ncsbe.gov/voter-id.
Since Oct. 6, absentee ballots are being mailed to voters who have requested them.
A voter may fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe.gov, or by filling out a request form provided by the board of elections.
The request must be received through the website or by the Wayne County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.
People who vote by mail must include a photocopy of a valid photo ID when returning their ballot.
They may also complete the Absentee Photo ID Exception Form that is provided with their absentee ballot materials.
The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 7 election has passed. It was Friday, Oct. 13.
However, eligible individuals who did not register by that deadline may register and vote at the early voting site during the early voting period.
New registrants will be required to provide documentation of their residence.
For more information, including sample ballots, visit https://www.waynegov.com/783/Board-of-Elections.
You also may call 919-731-1411 or send email to elections@waynegov.com.
