1430 different ballots in NC’s 100 counties this November

The State Board of Elections has links to all 1430 different sample ballots (also called “ballot styles”) in North Carolina’s 100 counties this fall at http://www.ncsbe.gov/downloads/SampleBallots/2012-11-06/

How do we get 1430 different ballots? : a combination of factors – (i) divided precincts in redistricting, (ii) city and county bond issues and referenda  (iii) three cities and two sanitary districts electing officers, and (iv) county commissioner districts where only the residents of that district vote.

While 22 counties have just one ballot style (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Bertie, Caldwell, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Davie, Hertford, Jones, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Northampton, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Tyrrell, Watauga and Yadkin), there are two with over 100 (Guilford -121 and Wake -102). Even some smaller counties have a lot — Granville (44), Nash (54), Rockingham (40), Rowan (46), Vance (46) and Wayne (43)

Wake and Guilford’s totals were increased greatly because of local elections and bond referenda (see my post at https://ncbilldrafting.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/11-counties-9-towns-to-have-referenda-nov-6/ ) and because of divided precincts in redistricting.

 

oh — if you are an NC registered voter and want to see YOUR sample ballot go to

https://www.ncsbe.gov/VoterLookup.aspx

look up your registration and there will be a link to your sample ballot

11 counties, 9 towns to have referenda Nov 6

Besides all the stuff everyone knows about being voted on in every county this November, from President down to soil conservation district supervisor, 11 counties and nine municipalities are having referenda, and Archdale, High Point, and Mt Gilead are electing mayors and/or council members. There are also some sanitary districts electing board members.

Here’s the list of the referenda, provided to me by the State Board of Elections:

Alamance	ALAMANCE COUNTY SALES TAX
Alamance	ALAMANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOND
Buncombe	ASHEVILLE WATER SYSTEM SALE/LEASE
Chatham	CARY TRANSPORTATION BONDS
Chatham	CARY PARKS AND REC FACILITIES BONDS
Chatham	CARY FIRE STATION BONDS
Clay	CLAY CO STRUCTURE OF BD OF COMMISSIONERS
Edgecombe	EDGECOMBE COUNTY SALES TAX
Greene	GREENE COUNTY COMMISSIONER BD DISTRICTS
Greene	GREENE COUNTY SALES TAX
Harnett	HARNETT COUNTY SALES TAX
Lenoir	LENOIR COUNTY SALES TAX
Mecklenburg	HUNTERSVILLE STREET BONDS
Mecklenburg	HUNTERSVILLE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS
Mecklenburg	HUNTERSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS
New Hanover	WILMINGTON BASEBALL STADIUM BONDS
New Hanover	WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH ORDINANCE
Orange	ORANGE COUNTY TRANSIT SALES TAX
Pasquotank	PASQUOTANK COUNTY SALES TAX
Scotland	SCOTLAND COUNTY SALES TAX
Swain	SWAIN COUNTY SALES TAX
Swain	SWAIN COUNTY ALTER STRUCTURE OF BD OF COM
Union	INDIAN TRAIL PARKS AND REC BONDS
Wake	WAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BONDS
Wake	CARY TRANSPORTATION BONDS
Wake	CARY PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BONDS
Wake	CARY FIRE STATION BONDS
Wake	KNIGHTDALE PARK AND REC BONDS
Wake	MORRISVILLE PARKS AND REC BONDS
Wake	MORRISVILLE STREET IMPROVEMENT BONDS

Additionally, there are contests for Handy Sanitary District (both Davidson and Montgomery) and Whittier Sanitary District (Jackson and Swain).

If you would like to see the verbiage of any or all of these, sample ballots are posted here:http://www.ncsbe.gov/downloads/SampleBallots/2012-11-06/

Email ballots for military and overseas voters wildly popular

As I blogged a few weeks ago,  the 2009 and 2011 regular sessions of the North Carolina General Assembly made major changes in absentee voting for military and overseas voters, including allowing ballots to be sent and received by those voters by email and fax. Long delays in snail mail to military voters and those in other countries had made it hard for those voters to get their ballots back in time to be counted.  Now, with absentee voting having started Friday September 7, we already have some data, based on requests received through Tuesday September 11, and those voting groups are making heavy used of these methods. Over 86% of overseas voters and over 51% of military voters so far have requested that their ballots be sent back and forth as an email attachment.  This should greatly improve the voting success rate for the military and American citizens abroad.  Here are the stats as of 9/11:

Military

Email 1553 51.5%

Fax          10  0.3%

Snail   1448 49.2%

TOTAL 3011

—–

Overseas

Email 2111 86.3%

Fax.        5.    0.2%

Snail.    330  13.5%

TOTAL 2446