Big Turnout Already Reported for 2018 Election in N.C.

Polls opened on Tuesday, November 6, at 6:30 a.m. at precincts all across Hatteras Island for the 2018 General Election Day. Precincts / polling places will remain open until 7:30 p.m. tonight for voters.

The Vote So Far

The State Board of Elections & Ethics reported that North Carolina voters turned out in huge numbers for early voting compared to the last midterm elections in 2014.

Per data released over the weekend by the state election agency, roughly 2.04 million out of 7.09 million voters across the state had cast votes so far, or a total of about 28.8 percent.

In Dare County, 8,933 of 30,306 registered voters have already voted at one-stop precincts, a total of roughly 29.5 percent. This number included 4,730 women (approximately 52.9%) and 4,203 men (47.1%), with an average age of 59.2.

In Hyde County, 533 of 3,423 registered voters have already cast their ballot via one-stop voting, or roughly 15.6 percent. This number included 282 women (approximately 52.9%) and 251 men (47.1%), with an average age of 57.8.

Precinct / Polling Place Locations

Though up until Tuesday voters could head to the Fessenden Center Annex or any of the three one-stop voting sites in Dare County, on Election Day, voters must go to their specific polling place, (based on their place of residence), to cast their ballot.

Polling places will all be open until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and are at the following locations:

Curbside Voting:

Curbside voting is offered at all Dare County polling places. To be eligible for curbside voting, you must be unable to enter the polling place due to age or physical disability. Look for the call bells near the polling place entrance labeled “Curbside Voting.” Poll workers will walk to your car when you park in one of the designated spaces to attend to your voting needs.

Sample Ballot

Voters will be determining a new member of the North Carolina House and Senate, two new members of the Dare County Board of Commissioners (for District 1 and the At-Large seat), additional county offices and judicial offices, as well as the outcome to six amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.

Click here to view a two-page sample ballot

Big changes for 2018 include the newly redrawn Sixth District for the N.C. House of Representatives, (which was court ordered), as well as the contested seat for the Dare County Board of Education, which is now voted on by party affiliation during the General Election in November due to a bill passed by the  N.C. General Assembly.

In addition, voters will address the six proposed changes to the N.C. Constitution, which include the following:

Election Results

The Island Free Press will post the election results as soon as they are available. Stay tuned for updates on the 2018 General Election.