Greensboro’s early voting schedule and limited polling places are a source of concern among voters and candidates, with some saying the combination is making it difficult for voters to cast a ballot.
There are four voting sites open in total for the early voting period for the primaries in Greensboro and Jamestown. Early voting began on Thursday.
However, the old Guilford County Courthouse will be the only site open for the first week of voting, with three other sites opening at Bur-Mil Park, the Special Events Center at the Greensboro Complex and the Jamestown Town Hall.
These sites are all located in the central and western parts of the city, or, in the case of the Jamestown Town Hall, to the west of the city, with no locations in East Greensboro.
The early voting plan represented a compromise between election board members who felt that only limited sites and hours were needed and those who believed voters needed additional options.
On the first day of early voting, both the candidates campaigning for votes and the voters casting ballots voiced dissatisfaction with the process.
Curbside voting is available at all polling sites for voters “who are unable to enter the voting place without physical assistance due to age or disability,” according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.
In addition, the city of Greensboro has announced some efforts to make it easier for voters to get to the polls.
‘We need to rethink this thing’
Greensboro voter Cherie Holderness said that getting to the old Guilford County Courthouse polling site Thursday morning was not easy for her.
“I parked at my grandchild’s daycare center, where you’re not supposed to park,” Holderness said. “I circled and circled and circled, and there’s a lot of construction down here as well. I don’t think this is a good spot to put one.”
Another voter, Ed Gideon, said he also finds the site challenging.
“I always come down here to vote, and there’s always a problem getting in here. But we manage,” Gideon said.
He added that he felt the schedule did create some confusion, but expressed a hope that people would turn out to vote.
Outside the courthouse, several candidates also voiced frustration with the early voting plan this year.
At-large candidates T. Dianne Bellamy-Small and LaToya Gathers said spaces near the old courthouse had all been taken up when they got their Thursday morning.
Michael McKinney, another at-large candidate, said it was “just another way to advocate for voter suppression.”
“I think we need to rethink this thing,” he added. “We need to find ways (to) create better opportunities and more precincts so our citizens can be enthusiastic about coming and exercising their civic duty.”
Council member Marikay Abuzuaiter, who is running for mayor, said, “It’s really a shame that we don’t have other sites that are available and open for the public.”
Abuzuaiter said that in past years, the city had more sites that were more widely distributed.
‘A lot of time for very few voters’
The Guilford County Board of Elections unanimously adopted the schedules and sites for the primary early voting on Aug. 5.
The discussion centered on the level of resources needed, given past turnout. The board also discussed the need to accommodate more vulnerable voters.
Republican Kathryn Lindley was the most vocal board member, arguing that fewer sites and hours were needed for the primary early voting.
She initially advocated using only the old courthouse as a site.
Felita Donnell, a Democratic member, raised concerns about the proposal, saying that the large field of candidates could result in higher turnout and that it might be difficult for some people, such as older people, to get to the site downtown.
Lindley also successfully pushed for the other three early voting sites to open on Sept. 25, a week after the old courthouse site opened.
She said adopting a longer schedule would be “a lot of time for very few voters” and that election workers would be “sitting for the entire day with little to no activity.”
She cited low early voting turnout in the previous primaries.
Data posted on the N.C. State Board of Elections dashboard showed that in 2022, when the most recent primary was held, more than 15,000 people came out to vote in the mayoral primary. That’s in a city of more than 300,000 people.
That year, turnout in the district council races ranged from around 2,300 to 3,800 voters. In the at-large race, where residents could vote for up to three candidates in a field of 10, the total number of votes was nearly 37,500.
Guilford County Elections Director Charlie Collicutt pointed out that the 2022 election was an anomaly.
The primaries in Greensboro would have ordinarily been held in 2021, but delays in redistricting due to late Census data pushed the election back a year. As a result, the primaries in Greensboro were held at the same time as those for other state and federal offices.
State elections data from the 2017 primary, the last one before 2022, showed much lower turnout overall. Fewer than 3,000 voted for mayor, and vote totals in district races were all below 600 votes.
The total combined votes for the 15 candidates in the at-large race were just over 6,000 in 2017.
Control of the Guilford County elections board shifted from a 3-2 Democrat majority to a 3-2 Republican majority within the last few months after the N.C. Supreme Court allowed Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek to assume election appointment powers, which previously fell under Democrat Gov. Josh Stein’s purview.
Greensboro committed to accessibility, city manager says
The city of Greensboro has announced some resources and operational changes to help residents go vote.
Riders on all Greensboro city bus routes can ride free on the Oct. 7 primary day and the Nov. 4 general election. Also, on those days, the city will limit road work in locations near polling sites to emergencies only.
City officials remind residents that the first hour of parking is free in the city’s parking decks.
Parking decks near the old courthouse include the Greene Street Deck at 211 S. Greene St., the February One Parking Deck at 110 S. Davie St. and the Davie Street Deck at 109 E. Market St.
Greensboro Transportation Director Hanna Cockburn said in an email that the city would allow space on the street near the old courthouse to be used for voting.
“As the city has done in the past, the loading zone located in front of the old county courthouse is utilized by the Board of Elections for in-vehicle voting and accessible spaces,” Cockburn said. “Voters should look for the signs.”
Abuzuaiter said there was also a plan to open up metered spaces for voters.
“I highly support the city manager’s recommendation – and our recommendation – that the parking meters downtown be reserved solely for voters,” Abuzuaiter said.
She said the process would involve deactivating the meters on East Market and Greene streets to read “Out of Order.”
City Manager Trey Davis, who came to the old courthouse to vote on Thursday morning, said the parking meter plan was under consideration, but there was no timeline, and he wanted to make sure various interests were balanced in downtown.
“Those are some things that we’re working on, but we want to make sure that the businesses that are operating in the area are not interrupted and that people can get to the spaces that they need to get to,” Davis said.
He added that the city will look for ways to help residents vote throughout the election season.
“This is all a process that we’ll continue to explore all opportunities to make sure that people can get here and have accessibility to vote,” Davis said.
kevin.griffin@greensboro.com
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