Early voting for the March 5 primary elections is underway in Pitt and Greene counties as voters select their political party’s candidates for federal, state and local elections.
The voting site at the Greene County Farmers Market, 470 N.C. 13, Snow Hill, will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and March 2 for Saturday voting and 1-4 p.m. Feb 25 for Sunday voting. It will be open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. weekdays Feb. 19-23 and Feb. 25-March 1.
The sites Pitt Count are at the Agricultural Center, 403 Government Circle; Center at Alice F. Keene Park, 4561 County Home Road; County Office Complex, Pitt Area Transit System conference room, 1717 W. Fifth St.; East Carolina University Main Campus Student Center, room 125, 501 E. 10th St.; and Winterville Fire Station, community room, 2593 Railroad St.
The sites will be open 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through March 1, 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. today and March 2, 1-5 p.m. Feb. 25.
Voters must show a current photo identification to vote. Acceptable forms of identification include a North Carolina drivers license or identification card, a passport, citizenship documents issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, employee and student IDs issued by ECU and Pitt Community College and employee IDs issued by Pitt County government.
Voters affiliated with any political party may only vote the ballot of their party’s candidates during the primary. Unaffiliated voters may choose to vote any one political party’s ballot. A voter cannot vote in more than one party’s primary.
Citizens 18 and older who were not registered to vote by Feb. 9 can register and vote in-person during the early voting period, according to the North Carolina Board of Elections.
“Same-day registrants” must attest to their eligibility and provide proof of where they live along with an acceptable form of photo identification.
Acceptable proof of residence forms include a utility bill, including mobile service providers; a bank statement; a paycheck; and federal, state or local government documents showing the name and current address of the applicant.
Although former president Donald J. Trump and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley are the only two people still running for the Republican presidential nomination, North Carolina’s primary ballot has seven names on it and a no preference option.
The Democrat presidential ballot has President Joe Biden and a non preference option.
Both political parties also have multiple candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and other state offices.
The Libertarian Party has multiple candidates running for president and two running for governor.
In Pitt County elections, Republicans and Democrats will select a candidate to run in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 9 contest.
The Republican candidates are incumbent Timothy Reeder and former Winterville Town councilman Tony Moore; the Democratic candidates are Lenton Brown and Claire Kempner.
Pitt County Republicans also will select between Rochelle Brown and Ralph Whitehurst to represent them in the Pitt County Board of Elections District B contest. The winner will face Democrat Bob Edwards in November.
In Greene County, Republican and unaffiliated voters who vote in the GOP primary also will choose between two Republicans who filed to challenge for the 1st Congressional District seat held by Democrat Don Davis of Snow Hill.
Sandy Smith of Rocky Mount, who Davis defeated to win his first term in 2022, will appear on the ballot along with Laurie Buckout of Edenton. The district was redrawn by the N.C. General Assembly earlier this year so that it included a greater number of Republican voters. It no longer includes any part of Pitt County.
In primary contests with multiple candidates, the winner is the candidate who receives at least 30 percent of the vote plus one, according to the state elections board.
If no candidate receives at least 30 percent of the vote plus one, a runner-up can request a second primary be held on May 14.
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