WINDSOR – The Bertie County Board of Elections at a special call meeting on Thursday night moved to allow five extra filing days for any prospective candidates in Lewiston-Woodville seeking the office of mayor or two town council seats.

Filing for Lewiston-Woodville originally ended on Friday, Aug. 9.  At that time only one person had opted to put their name on the ballot: current town commissioner Dayle Vaughn, who filed for the office of mayor. Current mayor Carl Lee did not seek re-election.

Meanwhile, Vaughn’s seat, which is in the Lewiston District, is one of the two that are up for election later this year.

Martha Thompson holds the other seat up for election, the one in the Woodville District. Thompson did not file for re-election.

Bertie County’s filing period for all other municipal offices on the November ballot ended on July 19.

“Actually, by law, theirs (Lewiston-Woodville’s) should have ended on the same date as everyone else,” said Bertie Board of Elections director, Sheila Holloman.

“They had a different closing date, but their closing date should have been the regularly scheduled closing date,” she added.

Holloman further told the News-Herald that the Board originally granted the extra filing time because of an oversight in the state statute regarding the most recent census that allows for an extension.

“We’re having to open them for five additional days,” Holloman said.

The extended filing period for Lewiston-Woodville will now be from 12 noon on Friday, Aug. 23 until noon Friday on Aug. 30.

If no one files for the Lewiston-Woodville council seats that are up for election then there will be a write-in slot for each position on the ballot.