Early EC turnout about 250

Early turnout for today’s runoff elections was roughly even across Elizabeth City’s four wards, as three of the four wards had averaged 70 voters by early morning.

Citywide, roughly 250 voters had cast ballots as of 10:15 a.m. Polls opened at 6 a.m.

Participation was the highest in the 1st and 4th Wards, with 77 voters cast ballots in the 1st Ward and 79 voting in the 4th Ward.

Another 66 had voted in the 2nd Ward, and about 30 had voted in the 3rd Ward.

They join the 1,370 voters who already cast ballots during the one-stop voting period that ended Saturday.

One of the races being decided in today’s runoff elections is the mayoral contest between Rick Gardner, a former mayor, and Roger McLean, a first-time candidate. McLean finished with the most votes in the Oct. 6th election, but failed to win enough to secure a majority.

The other runoff election pits the top two finishers in the 3rd Ward city council race — incumbent Councilman Rickey King and former councilman Michael Brooks — against first-time candidates Dennis Stallings and Milford Creecy. Neither King nor Brooks secured a majority in the Oct. 6 election.

Polls close today at 7:30 p.m.