While we believe the argument by the Halifax County Board of Elections the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall is unsafe is pure malarkey, the time to find an alternative site in the city is slipping away so the solution is just vote.
We know there should be an early voting site in the city and we would demand the oversight which caused the loss of the Neighborhood Resource Center on Jackson Street not be repeated and the county board of elections give us back a site for the November election and those in the future.
In our estimation it can be seen as disenfranchising every voter in the city who wants to do their civic duty but who are now forced to go outside their realm.
Early voting in our estimation is a convenience and while rejection of a one-stop site in Roanoke Rapids by the county board of elections Monday has caused a huge inconvenience for those who like it and take part in it, some sacrifices will have to be made and it is to cast your ballot.
Early voting schedule
Early voting is scheduled to begin April 19 and 20 at the Halifax County Cooperative Agriculture Building on Ferrell Lane in Halifax from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then April 23 through April 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It then will run April 30 through May 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will be one Saturday for voting on May 5 from 8:30 a.m.to 1 p.m.
Additional sites include First Baptist Church at 577 West Franklin Street in Enfield; Halifax Community College in rooms 401 A and 401 B and Scotland Neck Town Hall at 1310 Main Street.
Early voting at the additional sites runs April 30 through May 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a Saturday, May 5 date, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Too important of an election
It’s too important of an election to not participate in just because we’re now forced to drive to Halifax Community College or go to another site.
There’s an important county commissioner race; a sheriff’s race; a clerk of court race and a district attorney race which make it crucial for voters in Roanoke Rapids to have their say.
You can bemoan the loss of the resource center this go-round or you can find an early voting location or wait until primary day but whatever you do, don’t let the fact Mayor Emery Doughtie was shot down Monday in offering the Andrews building be a stumbling block. Just vote.
If you’re not comfortable with having an elderly friend or relative make the drive down the often chaotic Julian R. Allsbrook Highway to HCC, give them a ride. If there’s a friend or relative who typically walks to the resource center offer them a ride as well.
And make sure you vote yourself.
Unfortunately, the damage has been done and the next course of action, as we see it, is what we’ve already mentioned — make sure this doesn’t happen again, demand a return of an early voting site in the city and just vote.
We enjoy early voting ourselves and found the resource center to be an easy place to vote and by parking on the side of Jackson Street found it a convenient way to sidestep the hucksters with pre-marked sample ballots or candidates trying to force upon us their campaign material when we have educated ourselves on the issues and candidates before stepping into a precinct.
We share in the anger we don’t have a place to practice our early voting since Roanoke Rapids is the largest city in Halifax County.
However, we will not let its loss bring us down or curb our appetite to elect who we believe should lead our county, our law enforcement or our judicial system.
Yes, it was wrong for the county board to reject the mayor’s proposal but what would be even more agregious is to let it deflate our passion for picking our leaders.
We encourage everyone to let their voices be heard; we encourage everyone to demand an early voting site be returned to the city and while we won’t demand it, we would encourage everyone in the city who feels slapped in the face by the omission of Roanoke Rapids to just vote — Editor
