Polk County voters can cast an early vote for the May 4 primary beginning today.
One-stop voting will be at three locations: the Polk County Board of Elections Office, the Green Creek Family Life Center and the Mill Spring Fire Department.
The board of elections, on the second floor of the Womack building, is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Voting at the Green Creek Family Life Center and Mill Spring Fire Department will be Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Early voting ends Saturday, May 1, with all three locations open from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
For those who don’t vote early, the primary will be held at all Polk County polling locations from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4.
The last day to register for absentee ballots in writing is April 27.
Polk voters have several primaries to vote in, including for the Republican sheriff race, both Democrat and Republican county board races, both Democrat and Republican U.S. Senate races and both Democrat and Republican U.S. House District 11 races.
The following is a list of candidates in primary races this year for Polk County voters.
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U.S. Senate
Democrats
Marcus Williams of Lumberton, Wilma Worthy of Gastonia, Elaine Marshall of Raleigh, Ken Lewis of Chapel Hill, Susan Harris of Old Fort, James Cunningham of Lexington
Republicans
Larry Linney of Charlotte, Wesley Jones of Lake Toxaway, James Burks of Asheboro, Richard Burr of Winston-Salem (incumbent).
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U.S. House Dist. 11
Democrats
Aixa Wilson of Asheville, Heath Shuler of Waynesville (incumbent)
Republicans
Kenneth West of Hayesville, Gregory Newman of Hendersonville, Jeffery Miller of Hendersonville, Edward Krause of Marion, James Howard of Franklin, Dan Eichenbaum of Murphy.
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Polk County Board of Commissioners (3 seats)
Democrats
Ray Gasperson (incumbent), Ricky McFalls, Margaret Johnson, Benny Smith
Republicans
Harry Denton, David Moore, Ted Owens, Tom Pack
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Polk County Sheriff
Republicans
Dennis Bishop, Gregg Osteen, Nathan Shields
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Polk County Democrats will not have a Primary election for sheriff because incumbent Donald Hill is unopposed.
Polk voters also will not have Primary elections for Polk County Clerk of Court, N.C. Senate District 48, N.C. House District 113 and District Attorney District 29B.
Incumbent Charlene Owens (D) is unopposed for Clerk of Court.
Incumbent Republican N.C. Senator Tom Apodaca of Hendersonville and his Democratic challenger Christopher Dixon of Arden do not face any challengers from their own parties.
Incumbent N.C. Rep. David Guice of Brevard is unopposed in House District 113 and Incumbent Republican District Attorney Jeff Hunt is unopposed for District 29B.
Voters may register to vote in Polk County during one-stop voting. The last day to change affiliations was last Friday.
Editor’s Note: TheTryon Daily Bulletin is planning to publish additional coverage of the candidates in the 2010 primary over the next couple weeks leading up to the May 4 election.
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