by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
Voters in Orange and Chatham counties can start making their way to the polls next week, with early voting in municipal and school board races set to begin next Thursday, Oct. 15 at the board of elections office in Hillsborough.
Early voting in southern Orange — at Carrboro Town Hall and Morehead Planetarium — begins on Monday, Oct. 19. Those who wish to vote on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3) must register by this Friday (Oct. 9).
Tracy Reams, director of the Orange County Board of Elections, said Wednesday the elections staff is busy getting both people and machines ready for the work ahead.
“We’re looking good,†she said. “We’re testing the voting machines today and making sure everything is up and running.â€
Reams said training for poll workers at the one-stop sites finishes up next Tuesday and that there should be enough workers to staff at least three check-in stations at each site at all times.
With the opening of voting closing in, candidates have been making the rounds in neighborhoods and at forums to try to draw support.
As The Citizen went to press Wednesday evening, candidates for mayor and town council were preparing for another in a series of election forums. Tonight (Thursday), Carrboro candidates gather at Town Hall for a 6:30 p.m. forum (see a list of forum times and locations on page 3).
The opening of the official tally begins as the latest round of campaign-finance reports shows that the Chapel Hill’s mayor’s race, which features a town-first four candidates actively campaigning, could prove to be the most expensive race in town history, eclipsing the 2001 race between council member Lee Pavao and eventual victor Kevin Foy, in which more than $51,000 was spent. The cost of the Foy-Pavao race was one of the driving forces in the town’s efforts to create a public-financing system.
So far, council member Matt Czajkowski has been the top spender. In a report filed last week with the state board elections, he reported raising $17,434 and spending $9,299.68, with $8,134.32 cash on hand as of Sept. 22, the cutoff date for the latest reporting cycle.
In his report, candidate Kevin Wolff lists raising $10,210, mainly from a $10,000 loan he made to his campaign. Wolff lists $3,458.32 in expenditures and $6,751.68 in cash on hand.
In his bid for mayor, council member Mark Kleinschmidt reports raising $4,505 and spending $2,988.85, with cash on hand of $1,516.15. Kleinschmidt, who has qualified for public financing, can draw up to $9,000 from the public fund during the race.
Candidate Augustus Cho reports raising $1,095, spending $881.93 and cash on hand of $213.
In the Chapel Hill council race:
• Gene Pease has raised $5,975 and spent $3,332.60, with $2,642.40 cash on hand;
• Penny Rich, who has qualified for public financing, reports raising $4,131.40, spending $1,012.24, with $3,706.32 cash on hand;
• Matt Pohlman reports raising $3,704.39 and spending $3,043.30, with $661.09 cash on hand;
• incumbent Ed Harrison reports raising $2,105 and spending $516.50, with $1,961.65 cash on hand;
• incumbent Laurin Easthom reports starting the race with $338.91 cash on hand and spending $274.18, leaving $64.73 cash on hand;
• incumbent Jim Merritt reports raising $840 and spending $68.80, with $771.20 cash on hand;
• Will Raymond reports raising $305 and spending $8.20, with $296.80 cash on hand;
•John DeHart reports raising $300 and spending none of it.
Campaign reports may be read online at www.sboe.state.nc.us/content.aspx?id=106