WINTON – Preparations are being made well in advance of the May 8 Primary.

In anticipation of high voter turnout, the Hertford County Board of Commissioners earlier this week approved nearly $16,000 in funding to operate three, One-Stop sites. One-Stop voting allows registered voters to cast their ballots on certain dates prior to the May 8 Primary.

The commissioners, in a 5-0 vote, agreed to allow the county’s Board of Elections to open two additional One-Stop voting sites – the Murfree Center in Murfreesboro and the Ahoskie Nutrition Center (located in the cafeteria of the old R.L. Vann School – as well as operate the traditional One-Stop site at the Elections office in Winton.

The total cost of operating those three sites is $15,580 – approved unanimously following a motion from Commissioner Ronald Gatling and seconded by Commissioner Bill Mitchell.

“In the past we’ve operated our One-Stop sites with grant funding from the state,” explained Sheila Privott, Hertford County Elections Director. “The state no longer offers those types of grants so we had no other choice than to seek those funds from the county.”

According to Hertford County Manager Loria Williams, the $15,580 will be taken from the county’s Contingency Fund.

The three sites will operate using the following schedule:

Elections Office – weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on April 19 through May 4; and 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.

Murfree Center and Ahoskie Nutrition Center – weekdays from 12 noon until 6 p.m. on April 23 through May 4; and 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.

Other key dates leading up to the Primary include:

Friday, April 13 – Party affiliation change deadline;

Friday, April 13 – Voter registration deadline. Note: Individuals who miss the registration deadline may register in person and then vote at One-Stop voting sites in the person’s county of residence during the One-Stop voting period. In order to register during a One-Stop period, the applicant must show acceptable proof of name and residence in the county;

Tuesday, May 1 – Absentee ballot requests due; and

Monday, May 7 – Voted absentee ballots due. Note: They must be received in the county’s Board of Elections office by 5 p.m. If mailed, returned absentee ballots will still be timely if postmarked on or before Election Day, and received no later than 5 p.m. on May 11, 2012.

Polling places throughout Hertford County will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. during the Primary on Tuesday, May 8.