Early voting is underway for mayor and Ward 4 alderman runoff races.
Voters living in the city will get another chance to cast ballots for mayor and Ward 4 alderman candidates in New Bern, NC.
The runoff between mayoral candidates — Jeffrey Odham (incumbent) and Holly Raby — follows the Oct. 7 Municipal Election, when Odham received 49.16 percent and Raby received 41.54 percent. The race will be determined by a runoff election because no candidate received 50 percent plus one.
The runoff between Ward 4 Alderman candidates — Lainy White and Johnnie Ray Kinsey (incumbent) — follows the Oct. 7 municipal election. Lainy White received 40.22 percent, and Johnnie Ray Kinsey received 34.28 percent. Because no candidate received 50 percent plus one, the race will be determined by a runoff election.
City government
New Bern has a council-manager form of government. The voters of each of New Bern’s six wards elect one alderman to represent the ward. The six-member Board of Aldermen collectively vote to decide local issues, oversee the general operation of the city and approve the budget. Note: The board redrew ward boundaries in 2021. Find out which ward you live in here.
The city manager is the administrative head of the city and carries out the policies and laws, runs the day-to-day operations, has the authority to hire and fire employees and takes direction from board.
The mayor is elected at large as official head of the city for ceremonial purposes (like ribbon cuttings), presides at Aldermen meetings, powers prescribed by law and appoints members to the Housing Authority’s public body. Three aldermen approved a motion to ask the General Assembly to change the city’s charter in 2011 to give the mayor the right to vote on all matters instead of voting to breaking a tie. A few months later, the charter was changed that allowed the mayor to vote on all matters, as reported here.
How and where to vote
Registered voters may vote absentee-by-mail, vote early voting at the Stanley A. White Rec Center during the designated absentee voting period or on Election Day at their assigned precinct, according to the Craven County Board of Elections website.
Early voting
Voters may cast a ballot early at Stanley A. White Recreation Center at 603 Third Ave. in New Bern, NC. This is different than voting on Election Day when voters need to vote at their assigned polling place.
Early voting will be held at Stanley A. White Rec Center on Oct. 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24; 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 — Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the CC BOE website.
Absentee-by-mail voting
Or voters can vote absentee-by-mail. Learn more here.
Election Day
Or voters can vote on the November Runoff Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. at various polling places. “You must vote at your assigned precinct, based on your residential address, to receive your correct ballot,” according to the CC BOE website. Find your election day polling place here.
“A valid photo identification is required when voting in person,” per the CC BOE.
More details can be found at the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
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Election results
The official results of the New Bern’s October Municipal Election show Trey Ferguson (Ward 1), Sharon Bryant (Ward 2), Bobby Aster (Ward 3), Barbara Best (Ward 5) and Dana Outlaw (Ward 6) were elected to the city council, known locally as the Board of Aldermen. The newly elected aldermen will be sworn in in December 2025.
After the Board of Elections certified the election on Oct. 14, the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a motion to appoint Dana Outlaw to fill the current Ward 6 Alderman seat that’s been vacant since Bob Brinson resigned from office on July 31, 2024, when he was nominated for a state senate seat. Outlaw was sworn in and seated in the middle of Tuesday’s meeting.
Recount requested
The Ward 2 alderman race came down to a 10-vote margin. Sharon Bryant received 50.52 percent of the vote and Seymore received 49.22 percent. Ward 2 Alderman Candidate Debby Seymore requested a recount.
“At its Canvass Meeting, the CCBOE used its Discretionary Authority and voted to deny my request for an eye and hand recount,” according to post on her social media page.
NewBernNow.com asked Susan Williams, the Elections Director, if the CC Board of Elections used its discretionary authority to deny a request for an eye and hand recount of ballots for New Bern’s Ward 2 alderman seat? If so, was there an explanation or a public discussion?”
The Elections Director responded, “Yes. The Board received the request at the Canvass meeting Tuesday. They discussed the laws pertaining to the matter and came to a conclusion that they would deny the request.”
Williams said, “It seems that some member of the public believed that the second place Candidate had been eligible for a mandatory recount before provisional ballot totals were added. That was not the case, the difference was already more than 1%, and as of final vote totals the difference was 1.3%.”
“Additionally, having completed our sample audits required after every election with zero discrepancies and having zero reporting errors from early voting and Election Day, the Board did not feel that had any evidence to warrant a recount,” she said.
“This was all discussed publicly at the meeting with many visitors in attendance,” the director said.
Linda Moore, the chairman of the Craven County Democratic Party, also attended the Canvass Meeting. She said the county Board of Elections denied the candidate’s request for a recount because the difference was above the state mandated limit.
She said a mandatory recount is required when the difference between the highest and second highest vote-getter is one percent of the vote or less. The difference between the two Ward 2 candidates was 1.3 percent. She said the CC BOE had discretionary authority to order a recount but opted not to.
Election Laws can be found on the NC General Assembly website here.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.