ROCKINGHAM — Several hundred Richmond County voters cast their ballots on the first day of early voting.
Deputy Elections Director Teresa Smith said there were two people waiting in line when the doors opened at the Cooperative Extension office at 7 a.m. Wednesday, adding that the crowd had been steady throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.
Twenty had voted before 8 a.m. and more than 300 had chosen their candidates by 1:30 p.m. The last voter — No. 549 — walked in with three minutes to spare.
Jerilyn Kapp, who came in shortly before the polls closed, said she voted early to “get it over with” and avoid the Election Day rush.
Candidates and their campaign volunteers stood outside the building trying to sway voters.
Jim Black of Rockingham paced along the sign-laden edge of Caroline Street holding several signs urging people to vote for Democrats.
One sign read:
Vote for Women
They have Compassion for Americans!”
Another sign called for voting out the “fake” president (although the presidential election isn’t until 2020).
“I’m sick and tired of what I consider to be evil people running the country,” Black said. “You can’t get any worse than dumb Donald. I thought baby Bush was bad.”
Races on the ballot for this election are for the U.S. House of Representatives; N.C. House of Representatives and Senate; four seats on the Richmond County Board of Commissioners; district attorney, sheriff, clerk of superior court, all three of which are unchallenged; one seat on the N.C. Supreme Court; three seats on the N.C. Court of Appeals; two unchallenged district court judgeships; and two seats on the Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors.
There are also six state constitutional amendments on the ballot: one that would protect the right to hunt and fish; one to establish and enforce the rights of crime victims; one to reduce the state income tax rate at 7 percent; one to require a photo ID to vote; one that would change they way judicial appointments are made between elections; and one to establish an eight-member Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.
Early voting continues the rest of this week and Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Nov. 2 and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.
