No ballot crisis in Lenoir, Greene counties
October 17,2004
BOB SHILES   Kinston Free Press
Staff Writer

Although record demands for election ballots in some parts of the country are causing ballot shortages, election officials in Lenoir and Greene counties say there will be no problem in supplying ballots to all voters in their counties.

"We use Micro Vote Infinity voting machines, not paper ballots," Dana King, director of the Lenoir County Board of Elections, said. "The only paper we use is for the absentee ballots that we mail."

King said, however, that because of the large number of Lenoir County voters who are using the state's one-stop, no-excuse voting system, more voting machines are needed. The county now owns only six of the Micro Vote machines, purchased four years ago to be used solely for one-stop, no-excuse voting.

On Election Day, 99 of the larger Shouptronic voting machines will be used at the county's 22 polling places, the director added.

"On Monday we will have another rented" Micro Vote Infinity, she said. "I'd like to have at least two more."

Lenoir voters continued to flock to the polls Friday, the second day of the one-stop voting period that runs through Oct. 30. By late afternoon Friday, 340 voters had already cast their ballots.

This is only the second presidential election that the one-stop, no-excuse voting system has been used in North Carolina. Already it appears the number of Lenoir voters likely to participate in this year's general election may top the 63 percent of county voters who cast ballots in 2000.

Lenoir County has 35,144 registered voters. Since May, almost 2,000 new voters have registered.

Greene County also uses electronic voting machines, Jane Monroe, director of the Greene County Board of Elections, said. The direct recording electronic machines make paper ballots unnecessary, she added.

Monroe said voting has been "steady" over the first two days of the early voting period. Late Friday afternoon, 96 Greene voters had already been to the polls.

Greene County has about 10,000 registered voters. Since May, 600 new voters have registered.