By Kirk Ross, Staff Writer
Voting got underway in Orange County, but just barely, with light turnout reported at all three early-voting polling spots.
Polls opened last Thursday in Hillsborough and on Monday at Carrboro Town Hall and Morehead Planetarium.
Orange County Board of Elections director Tracy Reams said operations at all three site were running smoothly.
“We just need some more voters,†she said. “My people need some work to do.â€
The turnout was a far cry from the record-breaking crowds during the first week of last year’s presidential race.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, only 384 voters had cast their ballots — 31 in Hillsborough, 235 at the planetarium and 118 at Carrboro Town Hall.
There were some indications that more pleasant weather might lead to a pick-up in the pace.
“It’s a nice day, and we needed to vote sooner or later, so we figured why not sooner?†said Collan Kneale, who’d ventured to Carrboro Town Hall at lunchtime on Wednesday.
Also in line was Lucretia Kinny, who decided to beat whatever rush the local election might engender. “Because it’s convenient and I already know for whom I’m going to vote,†she said when asked what got her down to the polling place.
Although the ballot will remain the same, the start of voting Thursday coincided with a shake-up in the race for Chapel Hill mayor, with candidate Kevin Wolff telling the audience at Thursday’s WCHL election forum at Chapel Hill Town Hall that he was dropping out of the race. Wolff did not endorse anyone in making his announcement.
He had based his campaign in part on calling for council member Matt Czajkowski to drop out of the race, with the slogan “Keep Matt Where He’s At.â€
Wolff, who loaned himself $10,000 for his campaign, had reluctantly applied for public funding, but failed to qualify, according to an announcement last week by the State Board of Elections.
The elections board, which is managing Chapel Hill’s nascent public-financing program, also declared that council member Mark Kleinschmidt was eligible for $9,000 in additional emergency funding because Czajkowski’s fundraising had passed the $21,000 threshold. A special fundraising report filed last week by Czajkowski showed that he has raised $23,629.50. The mayor’s race is on track to be the most expensive in town history.
Endorsements announced last week:
• Orange-Chatham Sierra Club:
Chapel Hill Mayor — Mark Kleinschmidt; Chapel Hill Town Council — Laurin Easthom, Ed Harrison, Jim Merritt and Penny Rich; Carrboro Mayor — Mark Chilton; Carrboro Board of Aldermen — Jacquie Gist, Randee Haven-O’Donnell and Sammy Slade; Hillsborough Mayor — Tom Stevens; Hillsborough Town Council – Frances Dancy and Michael Gering.
• Hank Anderson/ Bill Thorpe Breakfast Club:
Chapel Hill Mayor — Mark Kleinschmidt; Chapel Hill Town Council — Laurin Easthom, Ed Harrison, Jim Merritt and Will Raymond; Carrboro Mayor — Mark Chilton; Carrboro Board of Aldermen — Jacquie Gist, Randee Haven-O’Donnell and Sammy Slade; Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board — Michelle (Shell) Brownstein, J.M. (Joe) Green and Gregory McElveen.
Beth Mechum contributed to this report.
I’m sorry, but I can’t take it anymore! Is it just me or are there more candidate signs littering our town this year than before? Ummm… aren’t we suppose to be earth friendly and going green, yet we are wasting thousands of dollars on candidate signs plastered on every corner and every light? Are they going to be recycled?
CANDIDATES, do you seriously think I am going to vote for you because I see your name on a board? I’m sure if we knew each other, I would have already known you were running. So if I’m reading your name on a board at the stop light, I still have no freaking idea who you are! What makes me want to look up information on your name over the person’s sign next to yours? Why not be different? Put a picture on the board so I at least know who you are when I see you on the streets so we can have a conversation about your goals. Why not send me an email? Why not send something in the mail and tell me about yourself, it’s all public info. Be different, don’t follow the monkeys who put up signs just because someone else did it. But really, a SIGN with your name on it? Are you that proud of your name that you just want to see it plastered all over town so others like me have to take them down later because you didn’t win? If you are going to waste money on a sign, make it worth something, make me remember you, be different and unique!
Someone please explain the signs because I’m never going to vote based on a sign with your name on it. I want to know you, put a face to your name, know your thoughts and opinions before I vote to put you in charge of my tax dollars and our children.
And stop putting your signs on private property when you don’t have permission to do so! It’s littering, and trespassing! Whew, I feel better. Thanks!
Ann Aylward