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Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 10:40 AM
Spring Hope could be 3rd one-stop for Nash By Antonio Velarde | Daily Times Staff Writer SPRING HOPE - Nash County elections officials could open a third one-stop, early voting site in Spring Hope for this fall's elections if they get state funding. Officials are also hoping to extend the hours for early voting and add two additional Saturdays to the early voting period, which will be from Oct. 16 to Nov. 1 for the Nov. 4 elections. John Kearney, the county's new elections director, said the county is applying for a state grant to open a third early voting site at the Spring Hope Community Building on West Main Street, which is already a polling place for the November elections. The grant would also be used to extend the hours at the Rocky Mount location and the new Spring Hope location. The county currently has an early voting site in Nashville at the Nash County Agriculture Center on Eastern Avenue, and in Rocky Mount. Kearney said the Rocky Mount site will be located at the National Guard Armory on Walnut Street, though that could change. He said the county hopes to offer one-stop early voting Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the early voting period. Right now, early voting will be from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. The additional Saturdays, on Oct. 18 and 25, would be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nash County usually only holds early voting on the Saturday before the election, which is Nov. 1 this year. Those hours are from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will not change. Kearney said that while the grant applies only to the Spring Hope location, and the new extended hours for the Spring Hope and Rocky Mount locations, the county will pay to apply the same hours at the Nashville site if it receives the grant. He said the deadline for applying for the state grant is Friday, and that the county should know of funding likely by the middle of September. Kearney said the county will likely get the required state and federal approval for the changes. "We feel like the grant will be approved," he said. The additional site and hours are meant to prepare for the anticipated high voter turnout for the Nov. 4 elections. The North Carolina State Board of Elections has been encouraging counties across the state to offer additional one-stop, early voting sites and hours. The state board of elections is giving grants and support to counties trying to extend their one-stop, early voting resources. Kearney said the Spring Hope site would serve the western end of Nash County toward the southern end, with Bailey/Middlesex area to get a large benefit from the closer site. avelarde@wilsontimes.com | 265-7868
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