Elisabeth Strillacci & Ben Stansell

SALISBURY — Tuesday’s primary election will be here in the blink of an eye, so here are the essential details to get you through the day.

In a primary, voters of each party will select a single nominee from multiple contenders to compete in the general election Nov. 8. Unaffiliated voters can also choose to vote in one party’s primary. Offices on the ballot include U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, N.C. General Assembly, state and local judges, the district attorney, and county offices.

All 41 polls in Rowan County will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., on Tuesday, and anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Early in-person voting ended at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, and as of May 12, a total of 6,229 votes had been received, representing 6.4% of registered voters.

A complete list of candidates for the primary is available on the Rowan County Board of Elections website at: https://www.rowancountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32026/Candidate-Report-March-4-2022-PDF?bidId=.

Of the nearly dozen total races on the Republican primary ballot in Rowan County, half of those will be determined following the primary election. The determining races include Rowan County district attorney, two District Court judge seats, N.C. House District 83, Superior Court judge and clerk of Superior Court.

Five races, all with Republican candidates, are uncontested in the primary and in the General Election, including N.C. House District 76. Rep. Harry Warren, NC House District 77. Rep. Julia Howard, District Court Judge Seat No. 3 Beth Dixon and Seat No. 4 James Randolph and Register of Deeds John Brindle.

There are two Democrat candidates running in the primary for Rowan County Sheriff and multiple Democrat candidates running for U.S. Senate, the N.C. Court of Appeals and N.C. Supreme Court. Democrat Scott Huffman is running unopposed in the primary for U.S. House District 8 and will face Republican Dan Bishop in the general election. Tangela (Lucy Horne) Morgan faces no competition in the Democrat primary for N.C. Senate District 33, a seat currently held by Sen. Carl Ford who is running unopposed in the Republican primary. Two Democrat candidates, Alisha Byrd-Clark and Sam Post, are running for Rowan County Board of Commissioners, but both will advance to the general election because there are three seats on the ballot.

Elaine Hewitt, chair of the Rowan Republican Party, said she expects voters from more rural parts of Rowan to make their way to the polls on Tuesday.

“I expect Tuesday’s turnout to be higher for our rural voters,” she said. “Voters who work or reside in the Salisbury, Rockwell and China Grove areas have had the convenience of easy access to a One Stop Early Voting site. There are still many people who prefer voting on Election Day.”

Sample ballots for each district are available through the Voter Search tool, which can be found online at vt.ncsbe.gov. Enter your first and last name to pull up your voter record, then scroll down to the “Your Sample Ballot” section. It is a good idea, if you are unfamiliar with candidates, to search for individuals’ records and experience if you are able. Most candidates these days have their own websites and are active on social media.

Mail-in ballots may not be turned in at the precincts this year. You must mail it in the completed envelope, with a postmark of May 17, or you may turn it in to your county board of elections office by 5 p.m. election day. Mailed ballots must be received by Friday, May 20, to be counted. There is no voter registration on Election Day unless one has become eligible by becoming a U.S. citizen or one has had voting rights restored following a felony conviction after the April 22 registration deadline.

North Carolina does not require photo ID in order to vote.

Should you need assistance at the polls, you are welcome to request it, and curbside voting is available for those unable to enter the polling place without assistance due to age or disability. If you need help once inside, any election worker should be able to help.

The N.C. State Board of Elections reminds all voters that intimidation of any voter is a crime. Voters should respect the right of everyone to participate in elections, and anyone who feels they have been harassed or intimidated should immediately notify an election official or police officer.

If for any reason you arrive at your polling place to find your name is not on the list, you should request a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted as long as your eligibility can be verified. You may follow up on the status of a provisional ballot on the Board of Elections site by using the Provisional Search Tool.

On election night, results will be posted as they become available on the Election Results portion of the website, but they should be considered unofficial until certified.