Voters in Castle Hayne who cast their ballots at the Riverside Park polling place, walked between advocates holding election signs both for and against the area’s possible incorporation.
James Abbott held up a sign against the measure and voted no for incorporation, but he did vote for possible council members in case Castle Hayne becomes a town.
“If for some reason, this was to pass, I want to make sure that there are going to be those in government who are going to be willing to listen to the people. These are people who actually don’t want this to happen at all, but if it does happen, they would question some of the things that have been told to us like some of the revenue and some of the expenditures and so forth.”
Cape Fear Community College pharmacy student Dominic Campese says he voted in support of incorporation because he wants the area to have its own pot of money for boosting town amenities and attracting tourists.
Shirley Mazzeo, a precinct judge for the New Hanover County Board of Elections, says her team has seen a steady stream of voters in what could be an historic election for Castle Hayne.
As with many new voting precincts, Mazzeo says there’s been some confusion about who is actually eligible to vote.
“A lot of people who come to Cape Fear #2 for their voting precinct, there are over 3,300 voters; however, in what is being proposed as the incorporation of Castle Hayne, we have close to 1,900 voters. So, a lot of people are confused with that. They think they live in Castle Hayne and, therefore, can vote, but that is not always the case.”
The polls close tonight at 7:30.
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