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People who don’t want to wait to vote in the Primary Election on March 5 can do so early beginning on February 15.

The One-Stop early voting period will continue until Saturday, March 2.

Bertie County voters have two locations to cast their votes early: the Bertie County Board of Elections Office (210 W. Watson Street, Windsor) and the Powellsville Town Hall (106 E. Main Street, Powellsville).

Those sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each weekday during the early voting period. Neither site will be open during the weekend except for Saturday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call the Bertie County Board of Elections office at 252-794-5306.

There will only be one early voting site in Gates County, at the Board of Elections Office (25 Medical Center Road, Gatesville).

The site will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays as well as from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays during the early voting period. Gates County is the only one in the Roanoke-Chowan area that will have early voting available on more than just the last Saturday.

For more information, call the Gates County Board of Elections office at 252-357-1780.

In Hertford County, voters can cast their ballots early at two locations: the Hertford County Board of Elections Office (418 Everett Street, Suite A, Ahoskie) and the Murfree Center (201 E. Broad Street, Murfreesboro).

Those sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each weekday during the early voting period. Neither site will be open during the weekend except for Saturday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call the Hertford County Board of Elections office at 252-358-7812.

Northampton County voters will have three early voting sites to choose from: the Cultural and Wellness Center (9536 NC Hwy 305, Jackson), the Cool Spring Community Center (101 Cherry Street, Gaston), and the Creecy Gymnasium (210 Robert Road, Rich Square).

These sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each weekday during the early voting period. No sites will be open during the weekend except for Saturday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call the Northampton County Board of Elections office at 252-534-5681.

This year, voters will have to show an ID to vote.

According to the State Board of Elections, most voters will simply show their driver’s license. But other photos IDs are accepted as well, including a state ID from the NCDMV (a “non-operator ID”), a US passport, an NC voter photo ID issued by a county board of elections, a college or university student ID approved by the State Board of Elections, a state or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the State Board of Elections, military or veterans ID card (with photo), and tribal enrollment card (with photo).

Voters who are 65 years or older may use an expired form of acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday.

For more detailed information about Voter ID requirements, visit the State Board of Elections website at ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id

A number of federal, state, and local races are on the ballot for this primary election. Voters will choose which candidates will be the party nominees for the general election which will be in November 2024.

In the Roanoke-Chowan area, contested races for the primary election (races with more than one candidate for the same party) include the following:

Bertie County Commissioner District 1: Nicole Outlaw, Lewis (LC) Hoggard III. This seat is currently held by incumbent Ron Wesson who announced earlier that he is not seeking another term.

Hertford County Commissioner District 1: John D. Horton (incumbent), Carnissa Vann Melton, James (BJ) Futrell, Jr.

Northampton County Commissioner District 1: Charles Tyner (incumbent), Marcenda Rogers, Keith Hugh Edwards

Northampton County Commissioner District 2: Geneva Riddick-Faulkner (incumbent), Keedra Whitaker

NC House of Representatives District 23 (includes Bertie County): Shelly Willingham (incumbent), Abbie Lane

NC House of Representatives District 27 (includes Northampton County): Michael Wray (incumbent), Rodney Pierce

All of these contested races are for the Democrat primary.

There are also nonpartisan Board of Education races in Gates and Northampton counties.

Gates County BOE candidates include Jonathan Jones and Ray Felton (incumbent) for the District 2 seat, and Amanda J. Heimbecker (incumbent) and Terri R. Riddick for the District 4 seat.

Northampton County BOE candidates include Barbara A. Stephenson, Theresa Cade, Clinton McCray Williams, Tony Burnette, Shakila Spruill, and Garry T. Elliott. There are four seats available on the board. All but Spruill and Elliott are incumbents.

Voters in Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton will also get a chance to vote for District Court Judge District 7 (Seats 1-4). Candidates who filed for those races include W. Rob Lewis II (Seat 1), Teresa Raquel Robinson Freeman (Seat 2), Takiya Lewis Blalock (Seat 3), Thomas Earl Dixon (Seat 3), Assata Kimbrough Buffaloe (Seat 4), and Jamal Summey (Seat 4). All are registered Democrats.

Other primary races include Presidential preference, US House of Representatives District 1, Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Treasurer, NC Supreme Court Associate Justice (seat 6), and NC Court of Appeals Judge (seats 12, 14, 15).

Those who do not vote during One-Stop early voting can do so in-person at their regular voting precinct on Tuesday, March 5. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. that day.