By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Though it’s higher than expected, an elections official says voter turnout in today’s runoff will likely be a fraction of what it was in the May primary.
Rowan County Elections Director Nancy Evans said the 2010 runoff brought out 7.23 percent of registered voters, or 6,495 people, and she predicts this year will be about the same.
“The turnout was a little better than anticipated for one-stop voting,” Nancy Evans said. “We voted more than we did in the 2010 runoff.”
This year, 1,204 people voted early in the runoff election, compared to 1,145 in 2010.
But early voting turnout has plunged from 5,944 in the first primary. Total turnout in that election was 32.41 percent, or 29,444 voters.
An unusually high number of people voted in the primary this year, and many said they came to have their say on a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions. In 2010, when there was no such amendment ballot, the first primary voter turnout was 15.41 percent, or 13,851 people.
Unaffiliated voters making a second trip to the polls this year will be given a ballot based on which one they took in May.
“If you are unaffiliated, and you didn’t vote in the first primary, then you can choose either Democrat or Republican this time,” Evans said. “But if you voted with a party in May, then you have to vote with the same party.”
Those who cast Libertarian or unaffiliated ballots cannot vote in the runoff, Evans said, because there are no Libertarian or nonpartisan races this time around.
Registered party members cannot vote in another party’s primary.
Races appearing on the Republican ballot include:
• U.S. House of Representatives District 8 (only in precincts within the district)
• N.C. Lieutenant Governor
• N.C. Commissioner of Insurance
• N.C. Secretary of State
• N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Board of County Commissioners (voters can choose two candidates)
The two races on the Democratic ballot are:
• N.C. Commissioner of Labor
• Board of County Commissioners (voters can choose two candidates)
Polling places open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
To find your polling place, a sample ballot or more information about voting, visit www.rowancountync.gov or contact the Rowan County Board of Elections at 704-216-8140.