By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — By a unanimous count, the N.C. Board of Elections on Thursday approved Rowan County’s early voting plan.

Thursday’s vote served as the final step before Rowan’s early voting schedule became final.

The schedule includes more early voting hours than 2012 and six total sites across Rowan County. Rowan County will have 530 early voting hours in 2016, according to the State Board of Elections. During the last presidential election, 2012, Rowan county had 443 early voting hours.

The plan received approval from the local board of elections in August. It doesn’t include Sunday voting.

Sites for early voting in 2016 will include: The Rowan Board of Elections Headquarters at West End Plaza, Rowan Public Library Headquarters in downtown Salisbury, Cleveland Town Hall, Spencer Municipal Building, Rockwell American Legion Building and Rowan Public Library South Branch.

After receiving local and state approval, early voting hours for November’s election are as follows:

• The first week of early voting, Oct. 20-26 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m, will be offered at the Board of Elections Office in West End Plaza.

• More polling places will be open Oct. 27-Nov. 5 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. They include Rowan Public Library Headquarters, Cleveland Town Hall, Spencer Municipal Building, Rockwell American Legion Building and Rowan Public Library South Rowan Regional branch. The Board of Elections will also be open at those times.

• On Saturday, Oct. 29, all early voting sites mentioned above will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m

• On Saturday, Nov. 5 — the final chance to vote before Election Day — only the Board of Elections office will be open. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.