Craven County politically is a sea of red surrounding an island of blue, judging from results from the Nov. 3 presidential election results. But one thing should be remembered: Nowhere is the county free of Democrats, and nowhere is the county free of Republicans. On this, Inauguration Day, as Joe Biden becomes president and Kamala Harris becomes vice president, there are those who don’t accept that people within their own community may vote differently. They hang with their own kind, so to speak. So often I hear people say that one candidate could not have gotten so many votes, because no one they know votedRead More →

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More election coverage here Craven County conservatives cast doubt and aspersions on the outcome of Tuesday’s General Election, which resulted in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris unseating incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Rubbing further salt into the wounds, Democratic N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper won his reelection bid. Citizen in New Bern is a Facebook page with more than 50,000 followers and numerous moderators, only one of whom is identified. While the content posted on it leans far to the right, many of its followers have liked the page for varying reasons. Of the 43 of my friends who like the page,Read More →

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How to tell if your vote was counted. More election coverage here Although North Carolina still has an estimated 95,000 mail-in ballots potentially left to be counted, results in Craven County are pretty much settled. Much like what happened statewide and nationally, smaller cities and rural Craven County supported Republican candidates across the board, while the four precincts that encompass most of New Bern’s population supported Democratic candidates. New Bern was an island of blue in a sea of red. Throughout all races on Craven County ballots, a Democrat received a majority of votes in just one partisan race, Craven County Register of Deeds. SherriRead More →

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Although most national media outlets have declared Joe Biden to be the presumptive president elect and Kamala Harris the presumptive vice president elect, four states are still considered too close to call, and one of them is North Carolina. Why? How to tell if your vote counted. More election coverage here Election Night Results website here There still remains about 95,000 absentee ballots that have until Nov. 12 to reach their respective counties and with just 96 percent of total votes counted, the races for President and U.S. Senator remain too close to call. County boards of elections will continue to meet through Nov. 13Read More →

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More election coverage here North Carolina elections officials remind Election Day voters that it may take a few weeks before their “voter history” is updated to reflect their recent vote in their voter record available through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool. “If you voted in person and inserted your ballot into a tabulator, your selections were immediately recorded on a memory card, and your votes were reported on election night as part of the unofficial results,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We respectfully ask that voters trust their bipartisan boards of elections across North Carolina. We are here toRead More →

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As of 7:51 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, with the presidential race hanging in the balance, some decisions actually were made on Election Day. Former County Commissioner Steve Tyson will replace Mike Speciale as state representative in the North Carolina House of Representatives representing southern Crave County. Craven County is a microcosm of the nation, in that the more heavily populated precincts in the county’s largest city, New Bern, lean Democratic, whereas the smaller cities and towns, and the rural parts of the county, all lean Republican. New Bern precincts N4, N3N5, N2, and N1 voted this way in the presidential race: Biden 5,504, TrumpRead More →

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The North Carolina Board of Elections held an emergency called meeting Election Day afternoon to take care of several items, including extending time at four polling places that opened late. Because of the extensions granted to a polling place in Sampson County, North Carolina won’t begin announcing voting results until 8:15 p.m. The board also filled Democrat vacancies on county board of elections in Rockingham County and Stanley County with individuals recommended by the state Democratic Party. The board voted to extend voting hours at several polling places that opened later than the 15 minutes allowed by the state. Polls are supposed to be openRead More →

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Sample ballots are available. Your ballot may be different from your neighbor’s because ballots are specific to your residence address and the jurisdictions associated with your residence address.  To view your specific sample ballot, click here What’s on my ballot?What’s on my ballot?. When accessing the link, you will need to: Provide your first name, last name, and year of birth. Select “Craven” under County. Select your name from the search results. Go to “Sample Ballots” in the Election Date row and click on the ballot number starting with “B.” Until further order of the court, voters are not required to show photo ID. The law was enjoinedRead More →

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County boards of elections in North Carolina will accept mail-in ballots received by Nov. 12, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week to uphold this deadline. More New Bern Post election coverage here. “Even with the deadline extension, we encourage voters to return their absentee ballot as soon as possible and ensure it is postmarked,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Please make sure your ballot is counted. Return it now.” Through Oct. 28, about 273,000 voters who requested an absentee ballot have not yet voted in this election. About 1.36 millionRead More →

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With the early voting period over, North Carolina voters still wanting to cast a ballot may vote in person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. The State Board offers the following tips for Election Day voters: On Election Day, polls across North Carolina are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. Lines tend to be longer before and after normal business hours. Find your Election Day polling place through the Voter Search or the Polling Place Search. Sample ballots are available through the Voter Search tool. Information about N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals candidatesRead More →

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