Although Election Day is just a little more than two months away, several important election-related changes and dates are looming.

The Beaufort County Board of Elections, as will other boards of elections in North Carolina, will begin mailing absentee ballots on Friday.

Changes in North Carolina voting laws that took effect Jan. 1 reduced the early voting period from 17 days to 10 days and removed an option that allowed people to register to vote and mark ballots the same day up until Election Day. The changes, approved by the N.C. General Assembly in 2013, included eliminating straight-ticket voting. Also, provisional ballots cast outside a voter’s precinct will not be counted, she said.

Earlier this month, a federal judge declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would have delayed implementation of the changes. The N.C. NAACP and the N.C. League of Women Voters are appealing the judge’s decision. They contend the changes should not take effect until a lawsuit challenging them goes to trial in July 2015.

Although the number of early voting days is reduced by seven, boards of elections must be open for early voting the same number of hours they were open when early voting took place over 17 days, according to Kellie Harris Hopkins, elections director for Beaufort County.

In Beaufort County, satellite early voting sites will be open on a limited basis. Those sites are in Aurora, Belhaven and
Chocowinity. The Aurora site is located at the Aurora Community Building, 442 Third St. The Belhaven site is located at the John A. Wilkinson Center, 144 W. Main St. The Chocowinity site is located at the Chocowinity Volunteer Fire Department, 512 E. N.C. Highway 33 East. Voters may also vote early at the Board of Elections office at Suite 104, 1308 Highland Drive, Washington.

The board’s office and the three satellite locations will be open a total of 192 hours for early voting, 102 hours at the office and 90 hours (combined) at the three satellite locations. The board’s office will be open nine days for early voting. The board’s office will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 23-25 and Oct. 27-31 and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 1. It will be closed Oct. 26, a Sunday. The satellite sites will be open three days for early voting. They will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 28 and Oct. 30 and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 1.

Hopkins expects voters’ interest in two local races could result in a higher-than-usual voter turnout for a nonpresidential election cycle.

“Beaufort County tends to turnout higher than most counties in the state,” she said.

She said Beaufort County likely is in the top 10 counties in the state when it comes to voter turnout (percentage of registered voters who vote).

In Beaufort County, voters will elect a new sheriff on Election Day. They will choose between Republican Ernie Coleman and Democrat Al J. Whitley. Sheriff Alan Jordan, a Democrat, is not seeking re-election.

Voters also will elect three county commissioners to four-year terms on the seven-member Beaufort County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Al Klemm, a Republican, is not seeking re-election. Commissioner Stan Deatherage did not emerge victorious from the Republican primary in May.

Republicans Ron Buzzeo, Keith Kidwell and Frankie Waters are being challenged by Democratic incumbent Ed Booth and Robert Cayton, a Democrat and former commissioner for seats on the board.

Under the limited-voting system used to election commissioners in Beaufort County, each voter is limited to voting for one candidate. The top three vote-getters will take office in December.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election is Oct. 10. One-stop (early) voting begins Oct. 23. One-stop voting ends at 1 p.m. Nov. 1. The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 28. The last day to return an absentee ballot by mail is Nov. 4. Canvassing of ballots begins Nov. 14. The last day to file and election protest is Nov. 18. The statewide canvass of election returns is set for Nov. 25.