LUMBERTON – Early voting, like cooler jacket weather, has arrived in Lumberton and in the other towns that make up the largest portion of Robeson County.

That means you won’t have to fight the potential long lines that may form at the polls come Nov. 7 – Election Day across the nation.

One-stop voting for the upcoming municipal elections got underway Thursday and is scheduled to continue through the first Saturday in November — Nov. 4.

Only one polling site is open throughout the county during the one-stop voting period, and that’s the Pine Street Gymnasium, which is adjacent to the Board of Elections office, at 801 N. Pine St.

Voters throughout the county will be making decisions on their future government leaders in 23 offices, said Tina Bledsoe, director of the Robeson County Board of Elections.

Bledsoe reported that 201 people voted on Thursday, which she said was not bad for the opening day of early voting for a municipal election. Another 118 voted Friday.

“Friday is usually a slow day, anyway,” she said Monday afternoon.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, she said, 120 more citizens had cast their early votes.

“It’s the voters who live within a municipality,” Bledsoe said. “Most of the municipalities within the county are holding elections. There are a couple more that are not having an election this time. Their four-year term is not up until, say, 2025.”

The county comprises 15 municipalities.

To register, voter deadline ended at 5 p.m. on Oct. 13. If the registration form was mailed, the letter must have been postmarked or in the Board of Elections Office by 5 p.m. Oct. 13.

Early voting is now available Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., with the last Saturday during the two-week stretch open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Election Day, voters can cast their votes at their registered precinct.

According to Bledsoe, about 21,740 eligible voters are registered in Robeson County.

“If we get 40(%), 45%,” she said of the county’s registered voters, “that’s considered real good. Maybe 30% – that would be good. But even in big presidential elections, we only get about 40%. I’ve seen it as low as like 27%. That’s low.”

The last presidential election, she recalled, about 52% of the voters cast votes. And that was during the COVID-19 epidemic.

“Sometimes people aren’t interested unless it’s controversial,” Bledsoe said. “We voted almost 12,000 alone during the last presidential one-stop. That’s a two-week span.”

ID required

For the first time, voters will have to show a photo identification for this election, she reminded.

“If you don’t have it, you can get a photo ID through our office once you register. We can do it on site. We’ll take their picture and give them a photo ID card for voting purposes only that will last through the end of one-stop.”

The voter identification requirement will be enforced in the local elections.

After that, Bledsoe said, no more photo ID cards will be issued until the Wednesday following the Tuesday, Nov. 7 elections at the main office. That, she noted, is by order of the state Board of Elections.

“One-stop has become more and more popular,” Bledsoe said. “But usually the majority of voters vote on Election Day.”

Who’s running

Here are the open races for the municipal elections in Robeson County with the final listing of registered candidates:

– Town of Fairmont Council Member: Heather Seibles (incumbent), Jeffery (JJ) McCree (incumbent), Jan Tedder-Rogers (incumbent), *Reshelle Johnson (​*write-in)

– Town of Lumber Bridge Council Member: Randy Russ (incumbent)

– City of Lumberton Mayor: Bruce W. Davis (incumbent), John Cantey (current councilman for District 5), Leland Fuller

– City of Lumberton City Council Member District 01: Leroy Rising (incumbent), Travis Lewis

– City of Lumberton City Council Member District 04: Karen Altman Higley (incumbent, mayor pro tem)

– City of Lumberton City Council Member District 06: Erich Von Hackney (former councilman for District 8), Alfred Douglas (write-in)

– City of Lumberton City Council Member District 07: Jan Maynor (former executive director of Lumber River Council of Governments), Eric Chavis (incumbent)

– Town of Maxton Mayor: Shelman Spencer, Emmett (Chip) Morton (former mayor), Bethea McDougal

– Town of Maxton Board of Commissioners: James McDougald, Paul McDowell (incumbent), Robert Macy, Charnette J. Murphy, Michael Hines, Toni Kandy Bethea (incumbent)

– Town of McDonald Mayor: James R. Taylor (incumbent)

– Town of McDonald Council Member: Kathleen Bacot, Dannie Bacot (incumbent), Alan Britt (incumbent)

– Town of Parkton Mayor: Wayne Parnell, Prudence Hentz, Doris Brisson Underwood (current mayor pro tem)

– Town of Parkton Council Member: Tony McVickers (incumbent), Ben Mahaffey, Ed Lowery (incumbent), Daniel Currie McColl III (incumbent), Christopher Carlson (incumbent)

– Town of Pembroke Mayor: Gregory Cummings (incumbent), Allen G. Dial

– Town of Pembroke Council Member: Larry McNeill (incumbent), Rudy Locklear, Ryan Sampson (incumbent)

– Town of Proctorville Mayor: Michael Sealy (incumbent)

– Town of Proctorville Council Member: No one filed; *Alphonzo McRae, *Virginia Ivey, Lewis Clyburn (​*all write-ins)

– Town of Red Springs Council Member: Caroline C. Sumpter (incumbent), Sandy (Billy) Bowen, Sarah Glenn, Duron Burney (incumbent), C.L. Edmonds (incumbent)

–Town of Rennert Council Member: Vivian Wilson McRae (incumbent), Brenda Locklear (incumbent), Olivia Alford, Sabrina Colson (incumbent)

– Town of Rowland Mayor: Robert McDougald (incumbent)

– Town of Rowland Council Member: Robert L. Belin, Betty J. Boyd (incumbent), Allen Jean Love (incumbent and mayor pro tem), Timothy T. Smith

– Town of St. Pauls Mayor: Elbert Gibson (incumbent), Jerry Weindel (former mayor)

– Town of St. Pauls Council Member At-Large: Jerry Quick (incumbent), Don Brisson, Evans Jackson (incumbent)