Filings start tomorrow.

Prospective municipal candidates in Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton counties will begin filing at 12 noon Friday, July 1.

Nearly every mayor in the three-county area will be up for reelection, as are a majority of the town board seats. The only mayor not on this year’s ballot will be Jackson’s John. McKellar who was elected to a four-year term in 2003.

&uot;There are 47 different contests on the ballot in Northampton County,&uot; Board of Elections supervisor Tonya B. Pitts said. &uot;The contests are spread through the county’s nine municipalities.&uot;

Mayors Brian Bolton (Conway), Roy L. Bell (Garysburg), Billy W. Melton (Gaston), Leon &uot;Dick&uot; Collier (Lasker), John E. Pellam Sr. (Rich Square), Melvin F. Broadnax (Seaboard), George H. McGee (Severn) and Margaret Burgwyn (Woodland) will have their seats up during the 2005 election.

Commissioners in each of the county’s municipalities will join them on the ballot. All commissioners will be on the ballot for every town except Jackson and Seaboard. Those town’s have staggered terms and will only be electing a portion of their board.

In Jackson, the seats on the November ballot will include those currently held by James W. Boone, Mary Anne Crawley and Jim Gossip. In Seaboard it will be the seats held by Bobbie N. Moss, William Gallimore and Edward Henderson.

Pitts said her office will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. each weekday during filing with a lunch break scheduled from 12:30 – 1 p.m.

In Bertie County, eight municipalities will hold elections and all eight mayors will be on the ballot during the 2005 election.

A total of 37 races will be decided in the towns which includes a first-time election in Aulander. It will be the first time the town is electing commissioners to four-year terms. The two highest vote-getters in the November election will receive four-year terms with the next two getting two-year terms along with the mayor.

One town that already has staggered terms is the town of Windsor. In that municipality, commissioners O. Wint Hale and Jimmy Hoggard will be on the ballot.

Mayors up for reelection in Bertie County include Bob Spivey (Windsor), Thomas Asbell (Powellsville), Burney Baker (Colerain), Tim Emory (Kelford), Gary Johnson (Roxobel), Joe R. Jernigan Sr. (Aulander), Carl Lee (Lewiston-Woodville) and Meredith White (Askewville).

All other town commissioners in the county are on the November ballot.

&uot;If it is necessary, we will hold a non-partisan primary election on October 11 for the towns of Windsor and Powellsville,&uot; Elections Supervisor Shirlie Davenport said. &uot;Those will be necessary only if there are more than twice the number of candidates as there are seats available.&uot;

The Bertie Board of Elections will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday-Friday with a lunch period scheduled from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. each day.

Hertford County will have six municipalities conducting elections. All but Ahoskie will see the entire board and mayor on the ballot.

Mayors on the November ballot include Ben McLean (Murfreesboro), Calvin S. Hall (Winton), Linda Blackburn (Ahoskie), Hermea Pugh Sr. (Cofield), Robert Dantz (Harrellsville) and Danny D. Edwards (Como).

In Ahoskie, the District B seat held by Ronald Gatling, the District A seat held by C. Malcolm Copeland and the At-large seat held by O.S. &uot;Buck&uot; Suiter will be on the November ballot.

Board of Elections Supervisor Sheila Privott said the county had a total of 33 races on the ballot. Her office will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a lunch break scheduled from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. during weekdays.

Filings will continue from tomorrow (Friday) until 12 noon on August 5.