September 25, 2008

The two new early voting precincts will be located at the new Sherrills Ford Fire and Rescue Headquarters at 4011 Slanting Bridge Road in Sherrills Ford and at the Southwest Branch of the Catawba County Library at 2944 Highway 127 South, in the Westover Plaza in Mountain View.

“Due to the high level of interest in the presidential election in November, we are anticipating a high voter turnout for the general election this year,” said Larry Brewer, Catawba County Director of Elections. “Early voting precincts give registered voters the option of voting early to avoid the possibility of standing in long lines on November 4. We are pleased to be opening two additional early voting precincts and thank the Sherrills Ford Fire and Rescue Base and the Southwest Branch Library for their kind cooperation.”

Early voting will begin on Thursday, October 16 at the Main County Library at 115 West C Street in Newton and the Highland Recreation Center at 1451 8th Street Drive, NE in Hickory. The County Library precinct will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, from October 16 through 31; from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on two Saturdays, October 18 and 25; and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2008. The Highland Recreation Center precinct will operate from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. from October 16 through 31; from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on two Saturdays, October 18 and 25; and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 1.

The two newest early voting precincts will open on Monday, October 20. The precinct at the Southwest Branch Library will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 20 through 31; and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 25. The precinct at the Sherrills Ford Fire and Rescue Base will be open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. from October 20 through 31; and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 25.

The 2008 election will include the presidential election as well as U.S. Senate and U.S. House elections on the federal level; North Carolina Governor’s and Council of State races; judicial elections on the state and district levels; North Carolina House and Senate elections; and Catawba County Board of Commissioners, Register of Deeds, Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor and Catawba County Board of Education elections.

One precinct will operate in a new location in November. Precinct #29, which has voted at St Stephens High School in the past, will now vote at St Luke’s Lutheran Church, at 3916 Springs Road, located between Killian’s Hardware and the intersection with County Home Road. Cards detailing this change have been mailed to all the voters in that precinct.

For more information on the new early voting precincts and other precincts, copies of sample ballots, voter registration or the elections process, you may call the Catawba County Elections Office at 828-464-1135 or visit the County Elections Office web site at http://www.catawbacountync.gov/depts/elect.