Downtown Guilford County Voting Sites Lag Behind Countywide Surge

Guilford County voters cast more ballots on Saturday, October 31, than on the previous Saturday, but the increase was uneven across the county. The Old County Courthouse and Union Square Campus recorded higher totals than the week prior, yet their growth rates trailed the rest of the county by a wide margin. These figures, released by county officials, are currently unofficial.

The Old County Courthouse processed 386 voters on October 31, up from 374 on October 24. That represents a 3.2 percent increase. Union Square Campus saw its voter count rise from 206 to 235, a 14.1 percent gain. Combined, these two downtown locations handled 621 voters, an increase of roughly 7 percent from the 580 recorded the previous week.

In contrast, countywide early voting surged 42.2 percent. Total ballots cast jumped from 6,575 on October 24 to 9,348 on October 31. This disparity reduced the downtown pair’s share of the total from 8.8 percent to 6.6 percent. Among the 17 early voting sites in the county, the courthouse and Union Square posted the second and third smallest percentage increases, respectively.

The smallest increase occurred at the Ag Center, where votes rose from 267 to 272. Other sites experienced much larger jumps. Pleasant Garden saw a 119.7 percent increase, while Craft rose 48.9 percent and Leonard rose 44 percent. Barber Park recorded a 22.1 percent gain, and Lewis Recreation Center rose 41.9 percent. All 17 locations saw an increase in voter turnout.

The voting window shifted slightly between the two Saturdays. On October 24, voting ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On October 31, it ran from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both days offered seven hours of voting. There was no early voting scheduled on October 17, leaving only one prior Saturday for comparison.

The October 31 voting day coincided with the 100 Greatest Homecoming on Earth. The parade was scheduled for 8 a.m. and the football game for 1 p.m. A&T University’s road closure list included portions of East Market, Lindsay, Dudley, and Yanceyville streets. Elections Director Charlie Collicutt stated before the event that officials were prepared and did not anticipate major voting problems.

The data does not specify whether voters chose different locations due to the homecoming events. The figures also do not account for voters who may have changed their preferred site, voted earlier to avoid crowds, or faced different transportation schedules. The shift from afternoon to morning hours may have affected different locations differently based on when their voters typically arrive.