The polls opened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, allowing voters to cast their ballots at their assigned precincts. Two polling locations included the Watauga County Recreation Center, which was designated as a polling location after Hurricane Helene impacted the National Guard Armory, and Plemmons Student Union.
Around 4 p.m., voters at the App State voting location in Plemmons Student Union faced a four-hour wait. Polls at both locations closed at 7:30 p.m. Anyone in line at a polling location by this time were still eligible to vote.Â
Ballots from across Watauga County made their way to the Watauga County Courthouse that night. The Courthouse served as the drop-off point for all Watauga County ballots, polling data cards and tabulators.Â
The ballots and data cards were checked by the Board of Elections and signed off by the chief judge. The process is airtight, with members from a number of political affiliations overseeing every step.
The counting ran late into the night, with some ballots coming in until 11 p.m.Â
Board of Election members warmly greeted polling staff in great contrast to the cold and rain outside. As the night went on, the commotion of the evening shifted into a state of relief for ballots finally counted.Â
After the counting, the Board of Elections members stayed behind for finalizations on the process and broke bread, celebrating another election in the books.
