Woodfin and Weaverville elect new leaders

Posted on by Greg Parlier
ELECTION NIGHT: Buncombe election workers process materials brought back from election precincts in Weaverville and Woodfin Nov. 7. On the right, a screen displays the progress of each chief judge as they travel from their voting location back to the elections warehouse in downtown Asheville, tracked by GPS. Photo by Greg Parlier

As somewhat of a trial run for next year’s presidential election, elections in Woodfin and Weaverville went off without a hitch.

“Overall, the election went very smoothly,” Buncombe County Director of Elections Corinne Duncan said after the final results were submitted on election night Nov. 7.

Turnout was light as election officials incorporated two new elements into the local election process: new selection machines and ID requirements.

SMOOTH SAILING: Despite multiple changes for the 2023 general election, Director of Elections Corinne Duncan was all smiles on election night as she said her team experienced no major issues. Photo by Greg Parlier

Less than 17% of registered voters in the towns of Weaverville and Woodfin and the Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District voted this year, compared with about 20% in 2021 for the same jurisdictions. About 5% of voters participated in 2019.

“Thank you to all the voters, the poll workers, election officials, commissioners, observers, candidates, our board members and all the county and city departments that work with us to make this happen,” Duncan said. “I’m really proud of what we do. It takes more than a village around elections. And I’m happy to have such a supportive community.”

Voters used ExpressVote machines to mark their ballots, the first time the electronic devices have been used exclusively during early voting. Previously, the machines were offered to voters with vision impairments or other disabilities.

Also, per a new state law, voters were required to show photo ID at the polls this year.

Duncan said there were no issues or complaints from voters on either change.

“It’s been great to be able to run these newer things on a small scale, especially before 2024, when we expect record turnout,” she said.

Results will not become official until provisional and timely absentee-by-mail ballots have been processed. Final certification will happen Nov. 17.

CHECKING IN: Poll worker Leslie Offill checks in a voter at the Weaverville Community Center on election day Nov. 7. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Winners in bold.

Woodfin mayor

Jim McAllister 638 (78%)

Jason Moore 174 (21%)

Woodfin Town Council

Johanna Young 670

Elisabeth (Betsy) Ervin (incumbent) 667

Ken Kahn 621

Josh Blade 223

Weaverville Town Council

John Chase (incumbent) 730

Dee Lawrence 704

Peter McGuire 610

Jennifer Young 476

 

Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District Trustee

Gordon Maybury (incumbent) 386

Lauren Edgerton 378

Larry Hopkins 344

Sarah Gassaway (incumbent) 116

Ivo Ballentine (incumbent) 93

WAREHOUSE: Buncombe’s Election Director Corinne Duncan stands in front of hundreds of vote tabulators in the county elections warehouse downtown as she prepares to give a live update of election results. Photo by Greg Parlier

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Woodfin and Weaverville elect new leaders”

  1. Michael Carroll

    Voters could choose 3 candidates in the Council and Waterboard. As such, it is not correct to express their vote totals as a portion of 100%

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.