For the fourth time this year, it’s election season in Beaufort County, and One Stop Voting for municipal elections kicks off on Wednesday at the Beaufort County Board of Elections.

Voters will have 14 days to cast their vote between One Stop Voting and Election Day for candidates in each municipality, from Belhaven to Aurora. One Stop Voting runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday from Oct. 16 to Nov. 1. There will be no satellite sites open during this period, with all voting taking place at the Board of Elections office, located at 1308 Highland Drive, Suite 104, Washington. On Election Day, Nov. 5, precincts within municipal limits will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots can be requested until Oct. 29.

“One stop is usually low, but they usually vote pretty decently on Election Day if it’s a contested election,” said Beaufort County Board of Elections Deputy Director Anita Branch.

As a service to readers, the Washington Daily News will print its annual Election Guide special section as an insert in Wednesday’s newspaper. The publication contains a wealth of resources, including candidate biographies and platforms, sample ballots and polling places.

“We want to make sure that our readers have the tools they need to make informed decisions on Election Day,” said Washington Daily News Publisher Ashley Vansant. “It’s our hope that the Washington Daily News Election Guide will help voters understand the positions of these candidates who will help shape the futures of communities throughout the county.”

With few exceptions, nearly every contest will be competitive. Only in Bath and Chocowinity will the incumbents have a clear path to reelection without new challengers.

Although the field started with 44 candidates, two have announced that they will not seek office. In Washington, city council candidate Laurence Doby was removed from the ballot due to a change of residence. Belhaven Board of Aldermen candidate Jimmie Southerland has said she is no longer seeking to serve on the board. Her name, however, will still appear on the ballot.

The following individuals will appear on the ballot for their respective municipalities:

Washington Mayor — Mac Hodges, Marshall Thurmon

Washington City Council — Richard Brooks, Virginia Finnerty, Elizabeth (Betsy) Kane, Doug Mercer, William Pitt, Mike Renn, Bobby Roberson, Donald Sadler, Darwin E. Woolard, Roland Wyman

Belhaven Mayor — Ricky Credle, Greg Satterthwaite

Belhaven Board of Aldermen West — Brenda Cherry, Bradford Linton

Belhaven Board of Aldermen East — James Lawler, Nathan Van Nortwick, Veronica Ward, Myers Williams

Chocowinity Board of Commissioners — Casey Langley, Nathaniel Williams

Aurora Board of Commissioners — W.C. Boyd, Coley W. Jordan, Tina Weatherly Taylor

Bath Mayor — Jimmy Latham

Bath Board of Commissioners — Keith Tankard, John Taylor

Pantego Mayor — Stuart Ricks

Pantego Board of Commissioners — Mart Benson, Reid Gelderman, Chad Keech, Robert Lilley, Matthew Van Nortwick, Chuck Williams

Washington Park Mayor — Tom Richter

Washington Park Board of Commissioners — Lee Bowen, Hatteras Brooks, Patrick Nash, Belinda Cowell, Wade Dale, Jeffery Peacock

For further details on the upcoming election, visit www.beaufortncboe.org.