The Wake County Board of Elections decided Tuesday on a dozen early voting locations for the March 2020 primaries.
There was some back and forth over locations between the board's three Democrats and two Republicans, but in the end, they came together on a unanimous plan. As part of the agreement, they added one more site than expected, which may require more funding, or a change in state laws mandating 12-hour voting days during the early voting period.
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But adding a 12th location allowed Republicans who wanted more sites in the growing southwest section of the county to get them without Democrats backing away from their priorities. Most of the public comment, offered at the afternoon meeting or in writing, was in favor of early voting locations in Holly Springs or Fuquay-Varina, and both were included in the final plan.
The county chairs of the Republican and the Democratic parties both agreed those locations are needed.
As in past years, Democrats and Republicans sparred a little over including a voting site at North Carolina State University. Board Chairman Greg Flynn, a Democrat, made the location a deal breaker, and it was included.
The locations approved Tuesday are:
- Avery Street Recreation Center, 125 Avery St., Garner
- Cary Senior Center, 120 Maury Odell Place, Cary
- Falcon Park Hut, 105 Falcon Drive, Fuquay-Varina
- Herbert C. Young Community Center, 101 Wilkinson Ave., Cary
- Knightdale Recreation Center, 101 Lawson Ridge Road, Knightdale
- Millbrook Exchange Community Center, 1905 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh
- N.C. State Talley Student Union, 2610 Cates Ave., Raleigh
- Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest
- Optimist Park Community Center, 5900 Whittier Drive, Raleigh
- Roberts Park Community Center, 1300 E. Martin St., Raleigh
- Wake County Office Building, 337 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh
- W.E. Hunt Recreation Center, 301 Stinson Ave., Holly Springs
The board expects to have more early voting locations for next year's general election.