Early voting is now open in North Carolina for the 2025 municipal election season. Early voting will run until Nov. 1.
During municipal elections, voter choose officials to represent them in their local governments, including mayor, councilpersons and board of commissioners.
“Local elections have the greatest impact on citizens’ day-to-day lives, so it’s important to weigh in on how you want your communities to be led,” Jackson County Board of Elections Director Amanda Allen said.
Dillsboro, Forest Hills, Highlands, Sylva and Webster all have local elections. Voters must be registered to an address in these municipalities to vote. Allen encourages voter to check their eligibility with the NC State Board of Elections’ Voter Search Tool.
“These municipal elections have huge consequences for how towns are run, for what kinds of services they provide. So, in some ways, it’s the undervalued stock of American politics,” said WCU political science professor Chris Cooper.
Local elections historically have had a much lower voter turnout than general elections.
“Your voice does carry more weight because turnout is so much lower, each individual vote matters more. And our lives are affected by the services provided in these municipalities,” Cooper said.
During the 2023 municipal elections, only 13.8% of eligible voters across North Carolina cast a ballot.
“Every vote counts and that is especially clear in local elections with smaller pools of voters where a handful of votes can affect the outcome. Local contests too close to call have been decided by coin toss; so every single vote matters,” Allen said.
Cooper recommends voters check out nonpartisan resources such as You Can Vote to research candidates before casting a ballot. Local groups have also hosted candidate forums to let voters ask candidates questions about issues important to them.
With the smaller turnout, there are less places for people to vote during municipal elections.
“We’re not going to have as many early voting sites, and they’re not going to be in the same places,” Cooper said.
In Jackson County, early voting is only available at the Jackson County Board of Elections Office at 876 Skyland Dr. In Sylva. The office is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 1. the office will be open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Early voter can also register to vote in the same day. To be able to do so, voters need to have proof of residency. More information regarding Same Day Registration can be found here.
Election Day is Nov. 4. Absentee ballots are also due by Nov. 4 by 7:30 p.m., the close of polls. Absentee voters are responsible for making sure their ballot arrives on time.
On Election Day, voters must vote in their precinct’s assigned location. Sylva and Dillsboro residents vote at the Board of Elections office. Webster residents will vote at the Webster Family Resource Center. Forest Hills residents vote at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. Highlands residents will vote at the Highlands Civic Center.
With the impacts of NC SB 382 and the registration repair project, Allen encourages voters to be prepared before voting to make sure their vote gets counted.
See short profiles of some of the candidates running in these elections.
