ROCKINGHAM — More than one-third of Richmond County’s registered voters have already cast their ballots ahead of Tuesday’s election.
According to the N.C. State Board of Elections, 13,451 votes were cast by in-person early voting from Oct. 17-Nov. 2.
Adding in the mail-in ballots — 288 civilian, 12 military and nine overseas — a total of 13,760 voters won’t have to deal with the crowds on Election Day.
As of Saturday, there were 29,483 registered voters in the county — meaning 46.6% have already voted. However, the number is lower than the early turnout for the 2020 election at 16,463 or 56%.
Statewide, the early and absentee voting turnout accounted for 52.76%.
The NCSBOE recognizes eight political parties.
The Democratic Party still holds the highest number of registrations in Richmond County with 11,602, accounting for nearly 39.4% of all voters. Unaffiliated voters outnumber registered Republicans by more than 1,500 (9,583-8,055).
The rest of the affiliation breakdown is as follows:
- Libertarian Party – 127
- No Labels Party – 100
- Green Party – 9
- Constitution Party – 4
- We the People Party – 2
- Justice for All Party – 1
In North Carolina, unaffiliated voters account for 37.79% of all registered voters — more than any political party. Twenty-eight of the state’s 100 counties have more unaffiliated voters than those associated with a party, with others that are close to joining that list. In some cases, that number is nearly double one of the two major parties.
While most of the local candidates on the ballot are affiliated with one of the two major parties, there are two exceptions.
Richard Robinson is running as a Libertarian and Michael Legrand is running unaffiliated. Both are in the contest for the Richmond County Board of Commissioners.
In the 2022 election, Republicans took control of that board for the first time.
Chairman Jeff Smart and Commissioner Andy Grooms, both Republicans who were both elected in 2022, are trying to retain their seats for another term. Commissioner Toni Maples, who was elected the same year, lost in the primary to Jamie Gathings.
Democratic candidates for this election are Linda Ross, Cassandra (DeeDee) Wall and Deborah Washington Crumpton.
Other local candidates on the ballot include Kimberly Roberts for Register of Deeds and Jeff Joyner for Richmond County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor; as well as Amanda (Amy) Wilson and Sophia Gatewood for district court judge. All four candidates currently hold those seats and are running unopposed.
On the state side, Rep. Ben Moss, R-Richmond, is defending his seat from Moore County Democrat Jimmy Self; and Sen. Dave Craven, R-Randolph, is being challenged by Kevin Clark, chairman of the local Democratic Party.
The highest profile races are those for president and governor.
While most of the focus in the presidential race is on former president Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance against current Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, there are other candidates on the ballot:
- Libertarian Party – Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat
- Green Party – Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware
- Constitution Party – Randall Terry and Stephen E. Broden
- Justice for All Party – Cornel West and Melina Abdullah
There are also third-party candidates in the state races for governor, lieutenant governor, auditor and commissioner of Agriculture.
See a sample ballot below.
The ballot also features a referendum for a constitutional amendment “to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State.”
Polls will be open around the county from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. According to a notice from the Richmond County Board of Elections, voters will be asked to show a photo ID but will be allowed to vote with or without one.
