Campaign calendar

The N.C. State Board of Elections is offering an unusual opportunity in advance of the Nov. 4 election—a program called Vote in Honor of a Veteran. Voters can request a button personalized with the name of a veteran they want to honor on election day (only one button per person). Requests for the free buttons should be made by Oct. 15 to ensure delivery in time for voting. E-mail elections.sboe@ncmail.net (put “Honor A Veteran” in the subject line), or download a request form from the Web site (www.sboe.state.nc.us). For more information, call (866) 522-4723 (toll free). Along with names, the elections board is also collecting stories about the honored veterans and displaying them on their Web site. Just a few samples from those tributes:
• “I’d like to request to vote in honor of my daddy. … He served in the United States Army during Vietnam. One of the main things my daddy stressed to me my whole life was how important it was to vote.”
• “This is in honor of my great grandfather. … He served in the Confederate States Army … was captured in Tennessee … imprisoned for 18 months.”
• “My daughter, 24 year[s] old … wife to Christopher and mother of two … proudly serves in the Air Force, currently stationed in Iraq.”
• “My father served in the U.S. Army in Okinawa during World War II. … He rarely talked about his service to our country. But, I always knew he was a patriot—taking care of his family and contributing to his church and community.”

The state board recently mailed out its 2008 General Election Voter Guide to every household in the state. The guide provides information about candidates in nonpartisan state races: N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals, state auditor, commissioner of insurance, and superintendent of public schools. If you recycled your copy too soon, it’s also available on the BOE Web site.
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Town Hall Forum sponsored by the Henderson County Republican Men’s Club, with GOP candidate for the 17th District (Henderson County), Carolyn Justus, and GOP candidate for the 113th District (Transylvania, Southern Henderson and Polk), David Guice. As time permits, congressional candidate Carl Mumpower and Henderson County Commission candidate Chuck McGrady will present updates on their campaigns. Opportunity House, 1411 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville; doughnuts and coffee at 7:30 a.m., program at 8 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 25: The Council of Independent Business Owners hosts Nathan Ramsey and David Gantt, candidates for Buncombe County Commission chair, at their monthly power lunch at Asheville Country Club. The public is invited, but meal RSVPs were due Sept. 18.; $15 for lunch. For information, call 254-2426.
Monday, Sept. 29: Meet and Greet in South Asheville with David Gantt, candidate for chairman of the Buncombe Board of Commissioners. RSVP at www.ganttforbuncombe.org or call 442-9252.
Tuesday, Sept. 30: Asheville Civitan Club luncheon at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Asheville. Come as early as 11 a.m. to meet the candidates for Buncombe County commission chair; the forum begins promptly at 12:15 p.m. To RSVP, call Keith Thompson at 215-4650.
Monday, Oct. 6: The Wilshire Park Community Club hosts the Buncombe County Commission chair candidates for a potluck dinner and speaking event at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 51 Wilburn Place in Asheville, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The public is invited.
Friday, Oct. 10: Registration deadline for new registrants or for address changes in order to vote in the Nov. 4 general election. (The exception to this deadline is to register and vote at the same time during One-Stop Early Voting between Oct. 16 and Nov. 1.) If you will be 18 on or before Nov. 4, you are eligible to register to participate in this election.
Monday, Oct. 20: Candidates forum for the Buncombe commissioners and board chair, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County, 7 p.m. at the Randolph Learning Center, 90 Montford Ave., Asheville.
Monday, Oct. 27: Candidates forum for N.C. Senate District 49 and House Districts 114, 115 and 116 candidates, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County, 7 p.m. at the Randolph Learning Center, 90 Montford Ave., Asheville.
For information about voter registration, absentee ballots or other election questions, call your county board of elections (in Buncombe County, call 250-4200). Send calendar listings of events open to the public in writing to Nelda Holder at nholder@mountainx.com, or PO Box 144, Asheville NC 28802.