Voting turnout tops 61 percent

As of Thursday evening, October 29, a total of 13,637 votes had been cast in Early Voting. This included 6,246 in Taylorsville, 2,901 in Hiddenite, and 4,490 in Bethlehem, according to Patrick Wike, Alexander County Elections Director. The three Early Voting sites in Alexander are: the Alexander Senior Center in Taylorsville, the Bethlehem Community Fire and Rescue Department, and the Hiddenite Volunteer Fire Department.

At the Bethlehem Community Fire and Rescue and at the  Hiddenite Fire Department, both Early Voting locations experienced power outages on October 29, but both sites were able to remain  open for voters with the use of generators, Wike related.

This amounts to an Early Voting turnout, thus far, of 54.9 percent of the county’s 24,820 registered voters.

In addition to these, 1,505 absentee by mail ballots have also been returned and approved, which puts voter turnout at 61.01 percent, said Wike.

This is the last remaining week of Early Voting. All three sites are open weekdays, 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., through Friday, October 30, and will also be open one more Saturday: October 31,
from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 828-632-2990.