The other 547 of us have just one day left – Election Day! – to exercise our civic right to vote for the POTUS and others.

There were two days of early voting on Ocracoke, on November 2-3rd. Hyde County elections director Viola Williams was on the island to assist at the polls, along with Ocracoke election workers (a.k.a. judges) Deana Yeatts and Janey Jacoby.

At every voting site, there must be at least one judge from each of the two major political parties, and a chief judge to oversee the whole process. Deana is the chief judge of Ocracoke precinct. The chief judge, Williams explained, has to be the same political affiliation as the governor, who, this year, is Republican Pat McCrory.

It can be difficult, Williams said, to find poll workers, because “we’re so limited on Republicans in Hyde County.”

Sometimes people step up to volunteer and ask to be a judge. Other times they are recommended by the county party chairs. The Hyde County Democratic Party is helmed by Marianna Russ, and the Republicans have Ken Collier, both of whom live on the mainland.

The judges go through training with the Elections Department, and are paid for their efforts. On Election Day, they will sit at their stations from 6:30am until 7:30pm, and they don’t even get a lunch break! Snacks are welcome, so bake them a treat if you’d like – but it won’t tip the scales in your candidate’s favor. There's never been an incident of voter fraud in Hyde County, and Williams does not expect one this year.

The island's voter stats are as follows: Ocracoke has 796 registered voters, of which 112 are Republicans, 429 are Democrats (exactly ONE more that 1/2 of those registered), 5 are Libertarians, and 250 are Unaffiliated. 

Ocracokers vote at the Fire Hall, and the polls will be open 6:30am–7:30pm. There's no excuse not to vote. Need a ride to the Fire Hall? Email sundaehorn@ embarqmail.com and I'll find you one.