Durham voters face a crowded ballot, even as county offices go unchallenged
Durham County voters cast ballots in record numbers this election, even though there weren’t many local candidates on the ballot. Voters saw no challengers in the election for sheriff, district attorney or clerk of Superior Court. But those were only a few of the races on a ballot packed with federal, state and judicial contests, along with three proposed state constitutional amendments. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Durham County Board of Elections said over 23,700 voters cast ballots on Election Day with polls closing at 7:30 p.m. During the early voting period, Durham County surpassed 100,000 voters, the largest early-voting turnout for a midterm election in the county’s history. There are about 250,000 eligible voters in the county. The big picture The countywide officers on the ballot Tuesday were effectively elected in the March primary, when Democratic candidates won. Sheriff Clarence Birkhead, District Attorney Satana Deberry and Clerk of Superior Court Aminah Thompson were all on the ballot unopposed. For the Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, two people were on the ballot for two open seats: David Harris and Mark Waller. But Durham County voters were also choosing between candidates in the U.S. Senate race, the 4th Congressional
