Public Notices

Every two weeks, the county departments update happenings and achievementsCounty Update - September 4, 2020.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The following is a message to North Carolina voters from Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections:

It is illegal to vote twice in an election. N.C.G.S. § 163-275(7) makes it a Class I felony for a voter, “with intent to commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time…in the same primary or election.” Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law.

There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevent people from double voting. Electronic pollbooks with information about who has already voted are used at every early voting site. If a voter tries to check in who has already voted, they will be prevented from voting a regular ballot. A voter will be offered a provisional ballot if they insist on voting, and this ballot will be researched after Election Day to determine whether it should be counted.

On Election Day, voters who have voted absentee are removed from the pollbook, which is updated before voting starts at 6:30 a.m. Absentee ballots that are received on Election Day are not counted until after the election, and this prevents double voting.

Also, the State Board conducts audits after each election that check voter history against ballots cast and would detect if someone tries to vote more than once in an election. Because absentee ballots and early voting ballots are retrievable, if someone tries to get around the system, their ballot can be retrieved and not counted, so it will not affect the outcome of an election.

The State Board has a dedicated investigations team that investigates allegations of double voting, which are referred to prosecutors when warranted.

If you request an absentee by-mail ballot but decide later that you would like to vote in person instead, you may. You should discard your absentee ballot. Do not send it back in.

If you have already placed your ballot in the mail but are not sure whether it has been accepted by your county board of elections, North Carolina offers a few ways to check the status of your absentee by-mail ballot without leaving your home.

Voters can:
1. Check your voter record at the State Board’s Voter Search Tool to find out whether your ballot was accepted by your county board of elections. This information will appear in the voter record after a ballot has been accepted.
2. Sign up for BallotTrax, when it launches in the next few days, to track your ballot through the system. BallotTrax is a new service that will allow voters to track their ballot through the mail and confirm receipt by the county board of elections, much like they can track their online order or pizza delivery. When it launches, a link will be available at NCSBE.gov.
3. Contact your county board of elections if you have questions about their ballot status.

The State Board office strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted. That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.

North Carolina elections officials encourage voters to request their ballot as soon as possible and return it as soon as they are ready to do so. By doing so, you can track your ballot and ensure your vote counts.

North Carolina offers several options to Vote, you may:

• Vote by Mail- request an absentee by mail ballot, the ballot will be mailed to the address you choose and after sealing the completed ballot in the return envelope and completing the back portion of the envelope. You may (1) mail the ballot back to the Elections office, (2) you (or next of kin) may hand deliver it to the office in Burgaw Mon – Fri 8am-5pm, the Satellite office at the Pender County Annex in Hampstead on Tuesday or Thursday 9am-4pm, or you may return it at a One Stop Early voting site Oct 15 – Oct 31. VOTERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAIL THE COMPLETED BALLOT BACK TO THE OFFICE.
• Vote during the early voting hours at any one stop site *SEE ONE STOP PLAN ON OUR MAIN PAGE*
• Vote Election Day November 03, at your correct Precinct.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THE ELECTIONS OFFICE AT 807 S. WALKER STREET WILL NOT BE OPEN FOR VOTING THIS YEAR. IN LIEU OF THE OFFICE, EARLY VOTING WILL BE HELD AT THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION AUDITORIUM LOCATED AT 801 S. WALKER STREET BURGAW, NC

PENDER COUNTY – Visitors to and within Pender County spent $105.76 million in 2019, an increase of 4 percent from 2018.

“Tourism is the second leading industry behind agriculture in Pender County,” said Tammy Proctor, Pender County Tourism director. “The increase to $105.76 in visitor spending is a record high.”

Proctor added, especially in the first quarter of 2019, the community was rebuilding from Hurricane Florence and many beach rentals and motels were still under construction. To achieve an increase was significant for the Pender County Tourism industry.

The data released Sept. 1, outlines that the tourism industry employs more than 860 people in Pender County with a total payroll of more than $19.5 million.

State tax revenue generated by visitor spending in Pender county totaled $5.01 million. About $7.31 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.

“Good tourism is economic development in Pender County as more people discover our region as a great place to live, work, and play,” said Proctor.

Domestic visitor spending increased statewide. The $26.7 billion in total spending represented an increase of 5.6 percent from 2018.

Visitors to North Carolina set a record for spending in 2019. The $26.7 billion in total spending

The data documenting the 2018 domestic visitor spending impact comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. The study was prepared by the U.S. Travel Association.