So far, so good.
We were a bit surprised to learn that during the first three days of One-Stop Voting that there was a 34 percent increase in the number of ballots cast over the same period in 2014, especially since four years ago there was a race between incumbent Sheriff Ken Sealey, a Democrat, and Randy Hammonds, a Republican. Local sheriff races stir emotions and drive turnout.
So when we asked on Monday for the vote totals for the first three days, we did not expect that the turnout would be higher this time, and certainly not by more than a third.
What is going on?
First, voting, already easy, has been made much easier with the use of five satellite sites and extended hours this time, compared with just two satellite sites and more limited hours in 2014. We aren’t a fan of having five satellite sites, which will be costly to keep open, but we are glad that they have been relatively busy.
Then there are the six constitutional amendments that Republicans have put on the ballot that are intended to drive conservatives to the ballot box. We find most of them unnecessary, but know that people will vote for such populist notions as lower taxes, the right to fish and hunt, and getting tougher on criminals. But the one we favor, and odds are you do too, is the Voter ID requirement that will be approved and over time could help return governance of this county away from the crooks and the haulers they employ, and deliver it back to we the people.
It also appears that the hauling of voters has been pretty spirited at the outset of early voting, but as we saw during the May 8 primary, as the days go on the number of folks who are hauled dwindles, and we expect the same thing to happen this time around.
We have said that the local ballot is a bit unappetizing, a position based primarily on the fact that there is no sheriff’s race. But as Phillip Stephens, chairman of the Robeson County Republican Party, reminds us, races that don’t include an incumbent tend to stoke interest.
There are several of those, with the headliner on Nov. 6 being the race for district attorney. We are told that race will be close, but the Republican, Allan Adams in this instance, always has an uphill climb in Robeson. The path to countywide election for the GOP is made easier with the disposal of straight-ballot tickets. Matt Scott, his Democratic opponent, was deemed the odds on favorite early on, and has run an effective campaign. Both are immensely qualified and we believe the county will be in good hands with either.
Then there are three open seats for District Court judgeships, but only two are contested. There is no question that these races are of interest and are helping turn out the vote.
The final open seat is District 9 in the U.S. House, where Republican Mark Harris and Democratic Dan McCready are trying to fill the seat that Robert Pittenger will surrender.
It’s always difficult to wrestle away a seat from an incumbent in the General Assembly, but there could be suspense in the two House races, but expect the Senate race to be called within seconds of the polls closing.
We once believed that the integrity of any election grows with each ballot cast, but in Robeson County hauling has disabused us of that ideal. We don’t think it’s to the benefit of the people when no-information voters follow the direction of haulers paid by people who are motivated by having in office politicians who can return a favor. The evidence is all around us.
When all the votes are counted, it will be interesting to see if those numbers do surpass 2014, which had the attraction of a sheriff’s race. If that happens, we won’t be alone in our surprise.