The Jackson County Board of Elections is located at the Jackson County Courthouse. Source: North Carolina Judicial Branch
The Jackson County Board of Elections is preparing for a second primary for the Congressional District 11 Republican nominee between Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn.
Bennett had 22.7 percent while Cawthorn amassed 20.4 percent of the vote. In North Carolina, if the first-place candidate does not get more than 30 percent, the second-place finisher can ask for a runoff which Cawthorn has decided to do.
See the full story on the primaries in March.
Early voting will begin June 4 with the official voting day on June 23. The winner will go up against Moe Davis in the general election on Nov. 3.
Lisa Lovdahl, the board of elections director, said that the board is taking every precaution necessary.
“We are definitely coming up with plan after plan, it just depends on what the situation is going to be in June. Nobody can predict what the environment is going to be at that time,” she said. “We are making sure we have a good supply of cleaning supplies, Clorox wipes, gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer,” Lovdahl said.
Where Jackson County voters can cast their votes has also been affected by COVID-19.
“The board has asked to transfer voters to six precincts down from 13. The six remaining precincts are ones that have bigger areas so we can accommodate for social distancing and also make sure that we will have enough workers at those precincts,” she said.
To find out where you can vote, check out the voter search on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
When asked about an option to have only mail-in ballots, Lovdahl said, “We are required by law to have in-person voting.”
Both candidates released statements to their supporters on the second primary. Bennett shared a message of hope to her supports through her Facebook page.
“I’m humbled by the outpouring of support across the district, and our team is ready to win the runoff and go on to the general election. I’m the proven conservative in this race who will work with President Trump to stand up to the radical socialists, cut taxes, build the wall, protect life, and stand for our Christian values,” she said.
A sample ballot of the second primary for the Republican nominee for the 11th Congressional District. Source: Jackson County Board of Elections
Cawthorn took a different approach and attacked Bennett on her Super PAC support with a message shared on his Facebook page.
“You would think I’d be feeling nervous or anger that I didn’t win the first round—of course, I feel those emotions—but what I feel is motivation and a fire. This campaign with the Lynda Bennett side has been unfair. It’s been Washington politics like we hate, and Western North Carolina has said with a very strong voice—beating a million dollars in dark PAC money and also beating the star power of congressman Mark Meadows—that we’re tired of it,” he said.
According to the Jackson County Board of Elections website, eligible voters include:
- Voters in the 11th Congressional District who are registered Republicans.
- Unaffiliated voters in the 11th Congressional District who voted a Republican ballot in the first primary.
- Unaffiliated voters in the 11th Congressional District who did not vote in the first primary.
As for the November elections being altered by COVID-19, “Right now we are working on accomplishing June 23. We are taking it day by day,” Lovedahl said.
