By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
ROCKINGHAM — A total of 844 Richmond County residents have taken advantage of early voting through 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Board of Elections officials.
Officials said 132 voters cast their ballots at the Board of Elections office in downtown Rockingham on Tuesday, for a total of 789 at that local since early voting began last week.
On Tuesday, early voting centers opened at Cole Auditorium, on the campus of Richmond Community College, and at Town Hall in Ellerbe. In Hamlet, 51 voters cast their ballots while four voters made their political choices at the Ellerbe site.
State law requires elections officials to ask voters if they will have valid photo identification for the 2016 election. Of the 789 who cast ballots through early voting at the Rockingham location, one official said that not one person has said” obtaining such an ID will be a problem.
Election judges are reading this to voters during the 2014 primary and general election cycle:
“Beginning in 2016, North Carolina law will require voters to show a photo identification when voting in person. New law changes require us to ask whether you have at least one of the forms of photo identification listed below.”
That list includes an unexpired North Carolina driver’s license, non-operators ID card or U.S. passport; a U.S. military ID card; a veterans ID card; a tribal enrollment card issued by a federally recognized tribe; or a tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized in North Carolina.
Only one of the 789 said they don’t currently have such ID but didn’t indicate a problem having it before voting in 2016. Voters are not required to have photo ID when voting on location in the 2014 elections.
Early voting continues the rest of this week at the same three locations:
Board of Elections office
Located at 221 S. Hancock St., Rockingham.
Early voting hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 30 through May 2; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3.
Cole Auditorium
Located at 1042 W. Hamlet Ave., Hamlet.
Early voting hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3.
Ellerbe Town Hall
Located at 108 W. Page St., Ellerbe.
Early voting hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30 and April 30; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3.
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