You may not realize it, but there’s a second primary scheduled in 12 Rowan County voting precincts. It will be held July 15 for one race — the Democratic runoff for the 5th U.S. House District.
In Rowan County, that means Democrats and unaffiliated voters who opted for a Democrat ballot May 6 will be able to vote in the 5th District race again, if they are a registered voter living in the district.
Democrats and unaffiliated voters who did not vote May 6 also can vote in this second primary. For the unaffiliated voters, they would have to request the Democrat ballot — the only one available.
The 5th District Democrat candidates are Joshua “Josh” Brannon, a software developer from Watauga County, and Gardenia Henley, a retired government worker from Winston-Salem.
The 5th District, mostly located in the Northwest Piedmont, includes a portion of Rowan County. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who won her primary May 6.
Roughly 23 percent of Rowan County’s voters are in the 5th U.S. House District. The July 15 winner between Brannon and Henley will face Foxx in the November general election.
Among four Democrats vying for the nomination in the May 6 primary, Brannon led with 33.1 percent, followed by Henley at 26.5 percent. Because Brannon did not have at least 40 percent of the vote, Henley was able to call for a runoff.
Michael W. Holleman and Will Stinson were the other candidates and are not part of the second primary.
Rowan County Elections Director Nancy Evans says absentee ballot applications for the second primary are now available at the Board of Elections Office, 130 W. Innes St.
An immediate relative may make an application for a ballot to be sent to a voter who is out of town, such as a college student, or for a voter who is confined to the home and cannot get to the polls on Election Day.
The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m. July 8.
Early voting will begin at the Salisbury headquarters of the Rowan Public Library July 3, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and continue Monday through Friday, through July 11.
The library is located at 201 W. Fisher St.
The last day of early voting for this second primary will be July 12, a Saturday, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at the library.
Evans says there will be no early voting on the July Fourth holiday.
On the day of the second primary, July 15, polls will be open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at the 12 Rowan County voting precincts that have voters in the 5th District.
They are Cleveland (town hall), Franklin (Shoaf’s Wagon Wheel), Milford Hills County (West Rowan Middle School), North Locke (Salem Lutheran), Mount Ulla (Mount Ulla station of West Rowan Fire Department), Scotch-Irish (Scotch-Irish Fire Department), Steele (West Rowan High), Unity (Woodleaf Fire Department), West Innes (Knox Middle School), North Ward (City Park Recreation Building), Milford Hills City (Isenberg Elementary) and Ellis (Ellis Park).
For further information regarding registration, location of polling places, absentee ballots or other election matters, call the elections office at 216-8140.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.