All over Western North Carolina, voters have been turning out to polls today to get their ballots in for the March primary. Election day was busy for some of the region’s precincts. People turned out to vote not only for the U.S. Senate and North Carolina’s 11th congressional district representative, but also local races and issues..
At various polling places, people told BPR they cared about the environment, Helene recovery, the future of affordable housing and sustainable development in the region.
At the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center in Asheville, BPR found Tammy Chandler, a registered independent and generational resident of Western North Carolina,
Chandler said she was worried that local concerns were getting left behind by larger federal actions.
“We can't be the world's savior anymore. It's just getting out of hand,” Chandler said.
Chandler said she’s worried about pollution in local rivers and streams. “Environmental issues, that's very important,” Chandler said. “Not to mention the recovery from Helene. Let's think about our people.”
The Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library was bustling around 10 this morning.
The big local races included picking the county sheriff and the tax assessor,. But Anne Peterson, a retiree, had longer-term issues on her mind.
She said she’s worried about Canton’s former mill workers who are now dealing with the double whammy of unemployment and Helene recovery.
“These are strong people of the community, independent people who've been born and raised here and are doing the right thing to help their communities and they're just left flapping in the wind,” Peterson said.
Peterson said she was also concerned about education and the high cost of living.
Another Canton voter was Shady Canary, who was at the library with her partner. Canary said she’s a firm believer in democracy and the right to free speech.
“If someone says they're going to punch you in the face and that you can't stop it, at the very least you can say, ‘Don't punch me in the face.’ We can all afford to use our voice. That is free. That is our right,” Canary said.
She said she’s also hoping local candidates can help the community become more pedestrian-friendly and walkable.
As of 4:00 PM, 15,125 voters had cast ballots in Buncombe County, with the busiest precincts being the Tempie Avery Montford Community Center with 276 voters.
Polls are open until 7:30 PM today.
