Family members are seeking the same office in at least three towns in the Roanoke-Chowan area.

In Northampton County, Michael and Ann Marie Procino, who are husband and wife, are each seeking a spot on the Seaboard town board.

The same situation is in play in Hertford County where husband and wife Hurley and Susan Hedgepeth are both running for a spot on the four-person town council in Como.

Bertie County, the relation is that of a father and son where James Bland Jr. and Wayne Bland are both running for the Kelford Town Council.

According to Bob Joyce, the Vice President of the University of North Carolina Institute of Government, all of those candidates are legally eligible for election to the seats they are seeking.

&uot;The general rule is if you are eligible to vote for a seat, you are eligible to be elected to that seat,&uot; Joyce said. &uot;The North Carolina Constitution prohibits there being any restrictions placed on a person’s ability to become a candidate.&uot;

Joyce said the legislature nor the town charter could prevent those who were family members or lived in the same residence from being elected simultaneously.

The following is a complete list of candidates seeking office in the Roanoke-Chowan area:

Bertie County

Askewville – Mayor – Meredith White (I); Commissioner – Robert Harmon (I), Mary Lou Jernigan (I), Gloria Bryant (C);

Aulander – Mayor – Joe R. Jernigan Sr. (I); Commissioner – Robin Maxham Bland (C), Bobbie Parker (I), Henry G. Spruill (I), Mary Jane Taylor (I), Jeanette Ayscue Tinkham (I), Tony Todd (C), Dennis B. Wilder Sr. (I);

Colerain – Mayor – Burney Baker; Commissioner – Bill Harrell (I), Duncan Hughes (I), Leroy Farless (I), Robert C. Fringer (I), Carroll Northcott (I);

Kelford – Mayor – Tim Emory (I); James Bland (I), Wayne Bland (C), Frank Harris (I), Linda Hathaway (I), Bailey Parker (I), Tierce Ruffin (I);

Lewiston-Woodville – Mayor – Carl A. Lee (I); Commissioner – Chris Cordon (I), Eddie Graham (I), Larry Mizell (C), Martha Thompson (I), Dayle J. Vaughan (I);

Powellsville – Mayor – Thomas Asbell (I); Commissioner – C.D. Hoggard (I), Ernie Carter (I), J.T. Watford (I);

Roxobel – Mayor – Gary Johnson (I); Commissioner – H.C. Boschen (I), David Bracy (C), Carroll Minton (I), Sammy Ray Pruden (C);

Windsor – Mayor – Robert &uot;Bob&uot; Spivey (I); Commissioner – Jimmy Hoggard (I) and O. Wint Hale (I).

Hertford County

Ahoskie – Mayor – Linda L. Blackburn (I); Commissioner Ward A – C. Malcolm Copeland (I), Tommy Hurdle (C), Commissioner Ward B – Ronald Gatling; Commissioner – At Large – Carl &uot;C.R.&uot; Askew (C), O.S. &uot;Buck&uot; Suiter (I);

Cofield – Mayor – Hermea Pugh (I); Commissioner – Anthony Archer (I), Nettie Brickers (I); Lee Watford Jr. (I), Melvin S. Wynn (I);

Como – Mayor – Danny D. Edwards (I), Irvin Stephens (C); Commissioner – Hurley Hedgepeth (C), Susan Hedgepeth (C), Kevin Higbee (C), Susan Kennington (I), Stephen Pearce (I), Ann E. Spruill (C);

Harrellsville – Mayor – Robert D. Dantz; Commissioner – Deborah Baker (I), Jo M. Liles (C), T. Colerman Taylor (I), Mary Thompson (I), Roy Worrells Jr. (I);

Murfreesboro – Mayor – Lynn Johnson (C), Ben S. McLean (I); Commissioner – Josey Blowe (C), Wayne R. Brown (I), Andrew F. Bunch (C), Lloyd Hill (I), Jennifer M. Hodge (C), Gloria Odum (C), William &uot;Bill&uot; Parker Jr. (I), William &uot;Bill&uot; Stephens (I), Bill Theodorakis (I), Sarah Whitley Wallace (C);

Winton – Mayor – Calvin S. Hall (I); Commissioner – Carolyn B. Bazemore (I), Ernest Green (I), Charles Jones (I), Wesley Liverman (I), William McCoy Pierce (I).

Northampton County

Conway – Mayor – Brian E. Bolton (I); Commissioner – George Clark (I), G.S. Cornwell (C), Peggy Davis (I), Lynmore Gay (I), Alan C. Harris (I), Billy Joyner (I), Andy Woodard (C);

Garysburg – Roy L. Bell (I), Commissioner – Lola Ausby (I), Jearline Brown (I), James Mayo (I), Sabrina Thomas (I), Iris Williams (I);

Gaston – Mayor – Ron Brooks (C), Danny Tolbert (C); Commissioner – Louise Bailey (I), Donald Conner (I), Deboarh L. James (C), Billy Melton (C), Wade Mosely (C), Mike Phelps (I), Becky Sykes (C);

Jackson – Commissioner – James W. Boone (I), Mary Ann Crawley (I), Garry Elliott (C), Jim Gossip (I), Fred W. Harper (C);

Lasker – Mayor – Dick Collier (I); Commissioner – Charles M. Daughtry Jr. (I), Robin Gibson (I), Brenda Whitley (I);

Rich Square – Mayor – Doris &uot;Peggy&uot; Risper (C); Commissioner – Nannie Branch (C), Charles Eason (I), Raymond Joyner (C), Mike Slauzis (C), William Smallwood (C), Rodney P. Tann (C), Reginald White (I);

Seaboard – Mayor – Melvin F. Broadnax (I); Commissioner – William Gallimore (I), Edward Henderson (I), Bobbie Moss (I), Ann Marie Procino (C), Michael Procino (C);

Severn – Mayor – George McGee (I); Commissioner – Frank Ferguson (I), George Francis (I), Harold L. Garris (I), Eloise P. Martin (I), Parker Watson Jr. (I);

Woodland – Mayor – Jay Jenkins (C), James Revelle (C); Commissioner – Margaret Burgwyn (C), Joseph Blythe (C), Les Clark (I), David Cooper (I), Joseph Mitchell (C).