Interest appears to be high in Tuesday's general election

Interest in Tuesday's general election is reaching a fever pitch, with nearly 1,000 voters taking steps to make their voices heard early as of Monday evening.

Voters again have the option of casting ballots early at the Alleghany Board of Elections office through one-stop voting without excuse. "Voters who choose that option may be from any precinct, but must already have registered to vote prior to the deadline," said Director of Elections Kate Cosner of the Alleghany Board of Elections.

The office, located in Sparta at 53 West Whitehead St. in Sparta (N.C. 18 South), about one block from the intersection of U.S. 21 (Main Street), is the only polling place for one-stop voting. The one stop voting period will continue until Nov. 4.

Polling place hours are from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. In addition, the Board of Elections Office also will be open on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, Election Day is Nov. 7. The county's standard polling places will be open that day from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Voters also may request absentee ballots by mail until Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. All mailed absentee ballots must be received back in the Board of Elections Office by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.

According to Cosner, a total of 960 people had cast one-stop ballots by Tuesday evening, while 130 people had request ballots by mail by Monday.

"For Alleghany County, it's just been a phenomenal turnout for a mid- term election," said Cosner. The figures from the 2004 presidential election show about 1,100 one-stop ballots being cast by this time. Cosner noted that there are a total of 6,685 registered voters in the county. "With just one stop, we are at better than 10 percent turnout already," she noted.

As for the high turnout, Kate Cosner said, "We have some extremely competitive races this time. With things that are going on, not just in the county, but in the state and country as well, we were expecting a higher turnout and that's what we're seeing."

Cosner said she talked with a representative of the State Board of Elections. "He told me that turnout has been very high for one stop voting statewide thus far."

Of the county's 6,685 registered voters, 3,527 are Democrats, 2,172 are Republicans and 986 are unafilliated.

Cosner started working for the Board of Elections earlier this year, taking over the office from Karen K. Fender, who left the position. As for this being her first general election, Cosner said she is thrilled to be taking part in the process. She was hired on May 8 of this year and was not present for the primary election on May 2.

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