A week from today, voters throughout eastern North Carolina will begin casting ballots to answer an important question — who will represent the 3^rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives?

One-stop early voting starts next Wednesday at the Beaufort County Board of Elections, and will last two and a half weeks though April 26. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of Good Friday, April 19.

On Election Day, April 30, precincts across the county will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. In order to vote at their precinct on Election Day, voters must register by this Friday.

With 26 candidates across the political spectrum competing to represent the 3^rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, voters will have plenty of options to choose from during this month’s primary.

While registered Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians will automatically vote on a ballot with their party’s candidates, unaffiliated voters may choose any of those ballots. Broken down by party, there are 17 Republicans, six Democrats, two Libertarians and one Constitution Party candidate.

For Beaufort County voters, the following are important dates to keep in mind:

April 5 — Deadline to register to vote on Election Day

April 10 – April 26 — One-stop voting at the Beaufort County Board of Elections (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday)

April 19 — Board of Elections closed for Good Friday

April 23 — Last day to request an absentee ballot

April 30 — Election Day (precincts open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.)

Following the April 30 election, the next special election is set for July 9. Depending on the outcome of the April 30 election, this will either be a second primary or a general election. If the July 9 election is a second primary, the general election will be held on Sept. 10.

There are no voter ID requirements for elections taking place in 2019. Those requirements will be implemented in 2020.

For more information on the upcoming election, visit www.beaufortncboe.org, or call 252-946-2321.