Officials with the Rowan County Board of Elections reported Tuesday a dismal early voting turnout in the second primary for the state’s 5th Congressional District race between Democratic candidates Gardenia Henley and Josh Brannon.
“Only 13 (people) have voted so far since Thursday,” Evans said. One-stop voting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, when it ends.
Evans said she has never seen such small numbers, but election officials have not had to negotiate a second primary with only 12 precincts.
“We often have second primaries. This is only the Democratic 5th Congressional District,” Evans said. “We have only one early voting site and 12 voting sites for Election Day, which is on (Tuesday).” Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
The only early voting site in the county is at Rowan County Public Library, and the entrance is near the back of the library.
Voters eligible to vote are those Democrats who live in the 5th Congressional District, unaffiliated voters who did not vote in May and live in the 5th Congressional District as well as unaffiliated voters who voted a Democrat ballot in May and live in the 5th Congressional District.
Neither Henley nor Brannon were available for comment by press time Tuesday.
The dozen polling places that will be open on Election Day are:
• Cleveland Town Hall at 302 E. Main St. in Cleveland
• Shoaf’s Wagon Wheel at 6430 U.S. 601 in Franklin
• West Rowan Middle School Media Center on U.S. 70
• Salem Lutheran Church in the Fellowship Building in North Locke
• Mount Ulla Station with the West Rowan Fire Department in Mount Ulla
• Scotch Irish Fire Department in Scotch Irish
• West Rowan High School’s auditorium in Steele
• Woodleaf Fire Department at 3500 N.C. 801 in Unity
• Knox Middle School’s gym in West Innes precinct
• City Park Recreational Building in the North Ward
• Isenberg Elementary School at 2800 Jake Alexander Blvd.
• Ellis Park at 3521 Old Mocksville Road in Ellis