Buncombe County elections 2023: Who’s running? What’s different? What voters need to know

Buncombe County Elections Services Director Corinne Duncan, Christian Smith/Citizen Times

By Mitchell Black, Asheville Citizen Times, October 19, 2023

ASHEVILLE – Leaves are changing, jack-o-lanterns are glaring and orchards are beckoning. These are not the only joys of fall in Buncombe County, autumn marks the beginning of civic participation as early voting opened Oct. 19. Election Day is Nov. 7.

“We want everyone to come out and vote, have access to vote,” Buncombe County Director of Elections Corinne Duncan told the Citizen Times Oct. 19. “Voting is a privilege that not everyone gets in the world. A lot of work has gone into providing that from election officials and people of the past, so come out in honor of it.”

She later added, “There are changes to elections all the time. Don’t let changes scare you. We are here to help you.”

Here’s what voters need to know about voting in the four races in Buncombe County this election cycle: the Woodfin Mayoral and Town Council, the Buncombe-Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District and the Weaverville Town Council.

Early voting

Voters can participate in early voting weekdays from Oct. 19 to Nov. 3 at the Buncombe County Election Services building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 59 Woodfin Place in Asheville. Early voting will also be available in Weaverville on Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Weaverville Community Center at 60 Lakeshore Drive. More precincts will open on Election Day.

Bring your ID

Following a ruling from the North Carolina Supreme Court, voters will now need to bring photo identification to vote in the state or scan a copy of the ID for absentee voters. Buncombe County Election Services provides free voter identification for registered voters during the early voting period.

According to state guidelines: The IDs that people can use that are unexpired or expired less than a year ago are:

• North Carolina driver’s license.
• State ID from the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles
• Driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory. This only applies to voters registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election.
• U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card.
• North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections.
• College or university student ID approved by the N.C. Board of Elections.
• State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the state Board of Elections.

IDs that include photos that people can use irrespective of expiration date are:

• Military or veterans ID card issued by the U.S. government.
• Tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized by the state or federal government.
• ID card issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program.

There are exceptions for voters unable to show IDs that include reasonable impediments defined by the state, religious exemptions and natural disasters. Those unable to show an ID can access an exception form at the county’s election services.

Registration: Better to be late than never

People who are not registered to vote can register during early voting, but not on Election Day, which is Nov. 7. Individuals with North Carolina driver’s licenses can register to vote through the DMV’s website at payments.ncdot.gov. Alternatively, people can complete a voter registration form available on the county’s Election Services website. New registrants can hand deliver the form to the election services building, or mail it to Election Services, P.O. Box 7468 Asheville, NC 28802.

Who can even vote in this election?

Those who have seen a map of Woodfin, know that the town just north of Asheville can be a little hard to pin down based on its history of piecemeal annexation. Anyone curious if they can vote in these elections can use the state’s voter info tool, which is also available on the county election services website. The tool will show a sample ballot for those eligible to vote. Or voters can call the Election Services Center at 828 250-4200.

Absentee voting

Voters can request absentee ballots until Oct. 31 through the state website at votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home or by mailing or hand-delivering a form to the county’s election services building.

New voting machines

This will be the first time the county deploys ExpressVote machines. These machines cost the county $604,225, which was approved as part of the fiscal year 2024 budget.

“We’ve had a good response so far. The voters are finding it easy to use,” Duncan said on the morning of Oct. 19.

Who’s running?

Woodfin Mayor

• Jim McAllister (current Vice Mayor)
• Jason Moore

Woodfin Town Council (three open seats)

• Josh Blade
• Elisabeth (Betsy) Ervin (incumbent)
• Ken Kahn
• Johanna Young

Buncombe-Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District (three open seats)

• Ivo Ballentine (current vice-chair)
• Lauren Edgerton
• Sarah Gassaway (current chair)
• Larry Hopkins
• Gordon Maybury (current secretary)

Weaverville Town Council (three open seats)

• John Chase (incumbent)
• Peter McGuire
• Jennifer Young
• Dee Lawrence

Click here to read the full story in the Asheville Citizen Times.