148 vote on one-stop’s first day

Turnout higher than first day for Oct. 6 election

By REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Elizabeth City voters — many with jobs and utility bills on their minds — turned out Wednesday in greater numbers for the first day of one-stop voting in the Nov. 3 runoff elections than they did on the inaugural day of one-stop for the Oct. 6 city election.

Roger McLean and former Mayor Rick Gardner are vying for the mayor’s office in one runoff.

The other runoff features four candidates seeking two City Council seats in the 3rd Ward. The candidates include incumbent Councilman Rickey King, former Councilman Michael Brooks, and first-time candidates Milford Creecy and Dennis B. Stallings.

By 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, voting had outpaced the first day of one-stop voting in September. The Pasquotank County elections office reported 148 one-stop and six curbside votes by mid-afternoon.

One-stop voting takes place at the Board of Elections office on McArthur Drive. Those wishing to cast ballots at their own precinct sites will vote on Nov. 3.

Katie Baker, 56, who works at Food Lion, said she voted for Brooks for 3rd Ward City Council and McLean for mayor.

She lamented what she considered a lack of interest in the election among many voters.

“Some people just won’t come out and vote,” she said.

But she said she turned out to vote “just to see things improve and change.”

One of the improvements she’s looking for is street resurfacing.

“First thing, they need to fix these roads — these bumpy roads out here.”

Baker also said that city electric bills are high.

Doug Davis, 87, who’s retired and lives in the 2nd Ward, said he voted for Gardner for mayor. He cited annexation as the issue of most concern to him.

“If they’d take care of what they’ve already got I’d be all for it,” Davis said.

He mentioned Gardner’s experience as a factor in selecting him.

“He’s been in there before,” Davis said.

Janet Washington, 65, who’s retired, said there needs to be more of a push for new business and industry inside the city.

“We need something in the city limits that’s going to bring revenue into our city,” Washington said. “We need jobs in the city.”

Washington said she was concerned about high electric bills. She said she thought it was important to vote “so the people can see something that’s changing.”

She declined to indicate the candidates she voted for.

Harold Williams, 65, who’s retired, said his biggest concerns were electric bills and “having the council willing to work together.”

Williams said he voted for King and Creecy for City Council. He declined to say whom he supported for mayor.

“I’m going to leave that one alone,” he said.

He said he hoped to see more cooperation among councilors during the next term.

“They haven’t been working together,” Williams said. “Everyone has their own agenda. I’m hoping this time they will come around and work together.”

Tom Baker, 62, who ran unsuccessfully for a 1st Ward seat on City Council in this year’s city election, said he voted for McLean because he shares Baker’s concerns: electric bills, youth and jobs.

“I don’t care what they say about this aviation park, they ain’t going to be able to produce enough jobs to keep the young people in this city,” Baker said. “They need to bring in more light industry. It’s OK with me if they bring in heavy industry, as long as it’s jobs for the people.”

In the 2005 runoff election — the last city election to feature a runoff vote for mayor — 1,463 people voted one-stop or absentee by mail, according to Pasquotank Elections Director Linda Page.

Page said voters had been eager for one-stop voting to begin, with people coming the office beginning last Thursday. The voting could have started last week had the printed ballots been available.

Ballots arrived at the office Monday around 8 p.m., allowing one-stop voting to begin Wednesday at 8 a.m.

One-stop voting will continue weekdays at the elections office this week and next. There will be one day of Saturday one-stop voting on Oct. 31.

Voters in precinct 1-B led Wednesday’s voting — with 34 of the precinct’s voters showing up for one-stop — followed closely by 3-B with 33.

Numbers of voters from other precincts:

• 1-A, 10;

• 2-A, 7;

• 3-A, 27;

• 4-A, 14;

• 4-B, 14;

• Mt. Hermon, 1.