By Jessie Burchette

Salisbury Post

Salisbury's Wal-Mart will likely have a bigger turnout Tuesday than the county's 10 municipal elections.

And much like a visit to Wal-Mart, some voters may be be a bit confused by changes.

Despite a mixed drink vote in China Grove, a $6 million sewer-water bond in Landis and more than 50 candidates on the ballots, the turnout is predicted to be near record low.

Nancy Evans, county elections director, is predicting a 10 percent overall turnout.

Some of the municipal races will draw larger numbers. Evans said it's impossible to predict individual races, but she expects Landis will probably have a higher turnout because of the bond issues.

The 10 percent countrywide turnout would be markedly lower than the 17 percent in the last municipal election, 2005. That year, turnouts in Faith, Landis, Rockwell, Spencer and China Grove topped 20 percent. Faith had the highest turnout at 36 percent.

The predicted low turnout could be a plus for election officials who are dealing with a new wrinkle — voters in one precinct will be casting ballots in three different municipal elections .

While some voters may have been annexed into city boundaries, their voting precincts haven't changed.

For example, most voters in the Faith precinct will cast ballots to elect five aldermen for the Town of Faith.

But other Faith voters will cast ballots in the Granite Quarry or Salisbury municipal elections.

A similar situation exists in Landis, where a few voters in both East and West Landis are now in the city limits of China Grove. Those voters — if they show up at the polls — will get a China Grove ballot.

Evans said the state legislature acted to prevent changing precinct boundaries to match municipal annexation. Previously, blocks of voters were moved as annexations occurred.

As a result of the Salisbury annexation in the North Locke precinct, it will be open Tuesday for the first time in a municipal election. About 300 North Locke voters are eligible to vote in the Salisbury city election.

North Locke precinct voters cast ballots at Salem Lutheran Church on Sherrills Ford Road.

In addition, the Board of Elections has notified 35 voters in the Ellis precinct who are eligible to vote in the Salisbury election that they may cast ballots at the West Innes precinct at Knox Middle School gym.

It would have cost several hundred dollars to open and staff the Ellis precinct.

Evans said voters will face more such split voting in precincts as annexation continues.

The polls open Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.

Ballots and results will be carried to the County Administrative Offices Building at 130 W. Innes St.

Results will be shown on the new 14-foot screen in the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Meeting Room on the second floor.

Results will also be posted on the county's Web site and on the Post Web site.

Sample municipal ballots are available on the Post's Web site and the county's at www.co.rowan.nc.us under departments on the board of elections link.

2007 Sample Ballot,

> side 1

> 2007 Sample Ballot,

> side 2