Voting for 3rd District U.S. Representative begins Wednesday

Published 7:29 pm Monday, August 19, 2019

: IN THE RUNNING: (From left to right) Constitution Party candidate Greg Holt, Democrat Allen Thomas, Libertarian Tim Harris and Republican Dr. Greg Murphy are running for the congressional seat held for 24 years by Walter B. Jones Jr.

One Stop voting starts again this week.

On Wednesday, the Beaufort County Board of Elections in Washington opens to voters casting ballots for the U.S. House of Representatives 3^rd Congressional District seat held by Walter B. Jones Jr. for 24 years. Jones died in February; four candidates are on the ballot in the special election.

“This person (elected) will finish out his term and then the seat will be up again,” said Beaufort County Board of Elections Deputy Director Anita Bullock Branch. “One Stop starts Wednesday, the 21st, runs through the 6th of September, no weekends, and on Sept. 2, we’re closed for Labor Day, but every other weekday, we’ll be here 8 to 6.”

From a field that initially held 26 candidates, Constitution Party candidate Greg Holt, Democrat Allen Thomas, Libertarian Tim Harris and Republican Dr. Greg Murphy will compete for Jones’ seat.

One Stop voting hours changed this year, as an exception for Beaufort County was signed into law on June 3, allowing local elections officials to cut the hours and days satellite voting sites are open throughout the county. Previously, if one satellite site was opened, they all were required to open, with hours set to the BOE’s main office hours — a costly endeavor with little voter turnout. The BOE in Washington will be open for voting from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through Sept. 6, with the general election to be held on Sept. 10. Voters will be able to cast their ballots at One Stop sites in Aurora and Belhaven from Sept. 4 through Sept. 6, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Chocowinity site will not open for One Stop voting, according to Branch.

One Stop voting in Aurora will take place at the Aurora Community Building, 442 Third St., Aurora. Belhaven voters can cast their One Stop ballots at the John A. Wilkinson Center, 144 W. Main St., Belhaven.

This represents the third election the Beaufort County Board of Elections has overseen this year, including the initial 3rd District primary and a second primary to determine the Republican candidate. The municipal elections in November will be the fourth.