Some election precincts in Burke County have changed

The General Election is approaching. People who aren't registered to vote can register before and on Oct. 11.

Some Burke County voters may vote in a new location as some precincts have changed this year, according to the county board of elections.

New voter precincts in Burke County

The Burke County Board of Elections says those precinct locations are:

Icard 1 has permanently moved from Friendship Methodist to Ray Childers Elementary.

Lovelady 1 has permanently moved from the Old Rock School to Valdese Elementary School.

Quaker Meadows 2 has permanently moved from the Burke County Fairgrounds to Faith Presbyterian Church.

Lovelady 4 has temporarily moved from Valdese Town Hall to the Valdese Park and Rec Splash Pad due to temporary housing of the police department at the town hall.

Register to vote in Burke County

To check your voter registration, visit www.vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup .

People can register to vote online or in person at the DMV or the Burke County Board of Elections, located at 2128 S. Sterling St., Morganton.

People will also be able to register and vote on the same day during the early voting period.

Early voting dates and locations

Early voting starts Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2, with weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. No voting will take place on Sundays, according to the Burke County Board of Elections.

Early voting sites are:

Burke County Elections Office in Morganton

Glen Alpine Town Hall

Burke County Senior Center in Morganton

Rutherford College Town Hall

East Burke Senior Center Library in Hildebran

The deadline to request an absentee-by-mail ballot is 5 p.m. Oct. 29.

Election Day is Nov. 5.

What's on the ballot?

On the ballot for the General Election for Burke County voters, in addition to state and national races, is a question whether to increase the county sales tax by a quarter of a percent. If approved, it would take the sales tax in the county from 6.75% to 7%. The quarter-percent sales tax would not be applied when buying food or gas.

Proponents say Burke residents already pay that quarter-percent tax if they shop in Catawba, Alexander, Lincoln or Rutherford counties.

The Burke County races are:

Burke County Board of Commissioners (two seats)

Democrat Wesley E. Hendrix and Republicans Mike Stroud, Brian Barrier and Jeff Brittain

Burke County Board of Education

At-large seat, Democrat Sharon Ivester Everhart and Republican Jamey Wycoff

Central District seat, Unaffiliated Don Hemstreet and Republican Sonya Rockett

Eastern District seat, Republican Jeffrey Reid Beck

Western District seat, Republican Brad Camp

Burke County Register of Deeds

Republican Stephanie A. Norman

Burke County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor (nonpartisan, one seat)

Bruce A. Randall and Evan Crawley

Rutherford College Town Council (three seats)

Carroll Hoyle, Mark J. Stinson and James Huffman Jr..

Hildebran Town Council (two seats)

Michael Stroupe, Vicky A. Carpenter, Terry Weaver and Christopher Noah Gilbert.

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