The maps in this post show results from selected contests in the 2010 general election.
Maps in this post:
- Board of Commissioners, District 2
- Sheriff
- Referendum: Sales and Use Tax
- Referendum: Constitutional Amendment
Maps for selected contests not shown in this post are available at the following links:
All of the maps are based on unofficial numbers (not including early votes) from the Orange County Board of Elections as of November 2 at 9:14 pm. The usual disclaimer: Because of the large number of early votes, these maps are inaccurate to the extent that early voters made different choices than people who voted on Election Day.
During the OP seventh birthday party, Ruby plied me with drink and asked me to present this year's maps as Google Maps overlays. I welcome your thoughts about how they turned out. Also, if you want to see any results not presented here, please let me know.
Board of Commissioners, District 2
Results are presented as the ratio of votes for Earl McKee (D) to votes for Greg Andrews (R). McKee carried all but one precinct. He won Town Hall precinct in Carrboro at a ratio of 16.0 votes to 1.0, but his ratio in Cheeks precinct was 0.9 votes to 1.0. The countywide results, including early votes, were 72% for McKee and 28% for Andrews.
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Sheriff
Results are presented as the ratio of votes for Lindy Pendergrass (D) to votes for Buddy Parker (R). Pendergrass carried every precinct, including Town Hall precinct in Carrboro at 23.6 votes to 1.0 and Carr precinct at 1.2 votes to 1.0. The countywide results, including early votes, were 76% for Pendergrass and 24% for Parker.
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Referendum: Sales and Use Tax
Results are presented as the ratio of votes for the referendum to votes against the referendum. The referendum was supported in 25 of 44 precincts. Support was greatest in Weaver Dairy Satellite (3.6:1.0) and Town Hall (2.1:1.0). The lowest support was in Carr precinct (0.3:1.0). The countywide results, including early votes, were 49% for the referendum and 51% against the referendum.
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Referendum: Constitutional Amendment
Not strictly an Orange County referendum, but arguably the most interesting of the obscure down-ballot items, the proposed constitutional amendment provides that no person convicted of a felony may serve as sheriff. Results are presented as the ratio of votes for the referendum to votes against the referendum. The referendum was supported in all but one precinct (Town Hall, 0.9:1.0). The countywide results, including early votes, were 80% for the referendum and 20% against the referendum.
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Issues:
Comments
That is so
That is so cool. Joal H. Broun
Fantastic!
Thank so much for doing these maps, Damon! They are both beautiful and informative and presenting them via Google Maps also makes them much more interactive. (For example, viewers can click on a precinct to identify it, zoom in to see details, etc.)
Why does Weaver Dairy get a Satellite
but not Patterson?
satellites
http://ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_163/gs_163-130.html§ 163‑130. Satellite voting places.A county board of elections may, upon approval of a request submitted in writing to the State Board of Elections, establish a plan whereby elderly or disabled voters in a precinct may vote at designated sites within the precinct other than the regular voting place for that precinct. The State Board of Elections shall approve a county board's proposed plan if:(1) All the satellite voting places to be used are listed in the county's written request;(2) The plan will in the State Board's judgment overcome a barrier to voting by the elderly or disabled;(3) Adequate security against fraud is provided for; and(4) The plan does not unfairly favor or disfavor voters with regard to race or party affiliation. (1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1032, s. 10.) My precinct in Wake County has a satellite at Springmoor Retirement Center(Precinct 0707A)
Thank you
I am going to push for people in this part of Patterson to be allowed to vote at the Weaver Dairy Precinct, which is at the Fire Station that backs to our neighborhood instead of being forced to drive 2 or 3 miles to Whitfield Road. It's just not environmentally sound and it hurts those who don't have access to a car. I've been asking for 10 years but the Orange County Board doesn't seem to take it seriously. Now, I know how to ask.Thank God they have early voting at the Seymour Center.Thanks again for the information. I appreciate it.
Strange election experience
Is there some history behind the constitutional amendment that I am not aware of? It seems very strange. We vote for sheriff don't we? So why do we need this constitutional amendment? Also, this was the first time I've ever voted for someone who advanced through a primary that I had not right to vote in. I guess that might have been true many years ago when I live in NY and NY didn't have primary elections for president and I voted in the general election. I hope the commissioners straighten out the County election procedures. If I get to vote in the district 2 general election I should also get to vote in the primary.
Q. 1 It was reported that 6
Q. 1 It was reported that 6 people who were convicted felons ran for county sheriff in NC this past year but none made it past the primary. I know of at least one of these candidates was a former sheriff in his county.Q. 2 The instant runoff that you refer to was state wide race and the law that is on the books was followed due to no primary being held. This was based on the lateness of the opening on the Court of AppealsQ. 3 We have a modified form of district representation where everyone gets to vote for County Commissioners in the general election. It would appear you want to return to the OLD at large system for electing commissioners. I could go along with that if the rural residents also get the right to vote for Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough elected leaders.Maybe you should bone up on the election before voting next time
wow
I didn't say anything about instant runoff voting in my original post. I knew exactly how I wanted to vote in that one. I am sorry if you misunderstood. So, there were six people who ran (in the primaries) for county sheriff that were convicted felons and they all lost. I assume the voters considered their convictions along with other information and decided to vote for other candidates. The current system works. Why do we need a constitutional amendment? There are two issues- 1. Why add things to the constitution (or any set of laws) that are unneeded? 2. Some day there might be someone who is a convicted felon who voters feel might make a suitable sheriff or not. No matter how remote this possibility why shouldn't the voters be allowed to make the decision? Why take that power away from the electorate? I was prepared to vote on this issue. I was surprised that it passed so handily even getting a large majority in this County.Relative to the voting for County Commissioner, you are making assumptions about me that are not correct. I am not a fan of at large voting for multiple candidates. The thing that seems strange to me is that I could vote in the general election when I could not vote in the primary. Are there other ways to get on the ballot without running in a party primary? Can a candidate get on the ballot through a petition? I could imagine a candidate who didn't go through the primaries winning this election since the electorates are so different. A write-in candidate might do very well. Your reason for feeling you should vote in municipal elections when you are not a resident of the municipality escapes me but maybe if I bone up on it, it will all become transparent.
Amendment
I agree the amendment was a little silly, but given that several felons tried to be elected, it seemed worth doing something. The OC deputy who was at my polling place was describing how you can't be a 911 dispatcher if you're a felon. Why should the sherriff have looser rules than that? There's also the issue of not being able to carry a gun. I understand the sherriff doesn't always need to carry a gun, but wouldn't you like him/her to be able to?
OK but
The difference is the Sheriff is elected.
Avoiding the primary
A candidate can get on the ballot by getting a lot of petitions signed (this is the way the Dems & Reps keep the game mostly to themselves).However, with straight party voting and little knowledge by most voters about county commissioners, that person doesn't have a prayer. That's why the commissioners are elected by a small number of Democrats in the primaries.
Still the current system makes it easier
I understand what you are pointing out and historically it is correct. An independent candidate would need a large get out the vote effort and endorsements by the standard endorsers to get elected. Is part of the problem that much of the media that people in Orange County read and hear is not based in OC? To some extent this is getting better than it was a few years ago. Does anyone know if Alaska has straight party voting? Look at what Lisa Murkowski is doing. In any case because the electorates in the primary and general election are different I think it makes election of an independent easier.
I ran as an independent in 1992
I received every endorsement offered - Chapel Hill News, Daily Tar Heel, Sierra Club, News of Orange, Orange County Greens, and The Independent. Don Willhoit received just one (Chapel Hill News), as did Moses Carey (Daily Tar Heel). The Republicans received none.My campaign was frequently in the news with coverage of press conferences supporting fair representation, energy-efficiency policy, and environmentally sound solid waste management. Each press conference was attended by many community leaders who also supported my stand on these issues. A couple of days before the election, a guy called up to tell me that he would be flying around the county with a banner supporting me. There was a lot of excitement and a lot of desire to toss out the old guard. A defining moment for me was when I received a call from the Democratic Party phone bank. I told the guy that I would vote for nearly all the Democratic candidates but that I was excited about the independent who was running for commissioner. When he asked me who that was, I responded by asking him who the Democratic Party commissioner candidates were. He could not name them. This was the year when much focus was on getting Clinton elected and tossing out Bush, getting rid of Gov. Martin, and keeping Terry Sanford in the Senate. The majority of voters had no clue about the local elections. I believe that this is still the case. A solid community of us pay attention to the names and issues involved with local politics, but we are out-numbered by those who do not.
Sheriff felon document dump
In case you want to know more about the constitutional amendment in excruciating detail, Elaine Marshall has a ton of documents on the Secretary of State website.http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/news/thepagespecial.aspx
Hege in Davidson County?
My assumption, which may be wrong, is that former showboat and convicted felon Gerald Hege in Davidson County running for Sheriff again after serving his house arrest gave enough people heartburn that they got the ball rolling on this.I also think the N&O had an article recently that up to 6 county sheriff candidates across the state who were running had felonies.
Yep
Had Hege won (and he had many supporters in the Republican primary), Davidson County would have a Sheriff who was legally prohibited from carrying a firearm. And who had demonstrated a clear contempt for the law in the past.