It’s that time of year again—the Durham Municipal General Election is Tuesday, so it’s a chance for Durhamites, residents and college students to make their way to the polls.
This year’s ballot is full of candidates running for mayor and City Council. Former city council member Jackie Wagstaff, rapper Joshua Gunn, defense attorney Daniel Meier and the three incumbents running with a joint platform—Jillian Johnson, Charlie Reece and Javiera Caballero—are vying for three open seats on the council.
To ensure that you’re informed this election cycle, The Chronicle has put together this handy-dandy voting guide.
Am I eligible to vote in Durham?
The first step is voter registration, as you must be registered to vote in Durham in order to take part in this election. Note that you can only register to vote in one state at a time, so if you’re already registered in your home state, you won’t be eligible to vote here.
In order to check that you’re registered, go to the following link and type in your personal information. If your name doesn’t show, you’re likely not registered, which means you won’t be able to vote in this election cycle. But there’s always next time!
Not sure where to vote?
The Durham County Board of Election has provided a list of the polling stations this year. You can input your address to find your designated precinct here. The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., though lines are likely to get long around break times.
West Campus residents are part of Precinct 5 and will vote at W.I. Patterson Recreation Center at 2614 Crest Street. East Campus residents are part of Precinct 2 and will vote George Watts Elementary School at 700 Watts Street.
How do I get to the polling station?
No worries, it’s simple. If you’re a West Campus resident, the best way to get to the polling station would be via a personal vehicle or a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft. Duke has partnered with Lyft to offer students free rides to the Crest Street polling station from the Bryan Center bus stop on Science Drive. You can even carpool with friends and vote together. For East Campus residents, your station is a short walk from campus.
What’s on the ballot?
This year, Durhamites will be voting for mayor, City Council and a $95 million affordable housing bond. You will select one candidate for mayor and three candidates for the Council. If you’re not a fan of any of the candidates listed, you’re able to write in a replacement.
Why should I vote?
Local elections are more likely to impact your day-to-day lives than national ones. Some of the primary policy points in this year’s election are policing and safety in response to recent shootings and gang violence in Durham, affordable housing and gentrification of low-income communities, job creation and renewable energy infrastructure.
Want to learn more about the issues? Check out The Chronicle’s coverage of the mayoral race, city council race and housing bond.
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