With results of the November 6 election now official, the Halifax County Board of Elections will begin preparing for a full slate of municipal races next year.

The board certified election results on Friday.

Results of the Friday canvas show Ophelia Gould-Faison, who was certified as a write-in candidate for county commissioner, collected 3,565 votes.

Board of elections Director Kristin Scott said while “quite a few” of the write-in votes for Gould-Faison were not accepted, the number of votes she did gather could be viewed as a strong showing. “In the past we never had that many to receive that many (votes).”

The ballots for Gould-Faison not accepted were from those who wrote in the candidate’s name but did not fill the oval, Scott said.

In another write-in campaign, Latoya Howard received 355 votes in the Weldon City Schools Board of Education race.

James Tank Williams with 1,435 votes, Tanya Byrd-Robinson with 1,352, Tiffany Hale with 1,338 and Edith Jenkins with 1,292, were declared the winners in that race.

In the board of commissioners race, the three incumbents won re-election — Vernon Bryant collecting 9,718 votes, Rives Manning 9,315, and Patrick Qualls 8,831.

Republican challenger John Whichard collected 3,573 votes.

November 5, 2019, municipal elections

There will be nine races in the 2019 elections, Scott said.

Incumbent Roanoke Rapids school board members Jay Carlisle, Thomas McDonald and Cathy Hux Keeter will be up for re-election.

Incumbent Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District board members Gregory Browning, Steve Holliday and Gene St. Clair are up for re-election.

Enfield town commissioners Kent Holmes, Bud Whitaker and Tracey Gardner are up for re-election.

In the town of Halifax all seats on the town board of commissioners are up — Mayor John White and commissioners Barbara Daniels, Christina Wells, Lee Clements, Patterson Wilson and Lisa Turner.

In Hobgood Mayor Dannie Flanary and commissioners Milton Armiston and Sallie Smith are up for re-election.

In Littleton commissioners Gerleen Pitchford, Clara Debnam and Donald Spragins are up for re-election.

In Roanoke Rapids council members Ernest Bobbitt, Carol Cowen and Carl Ferebee are up for re-election.

In Scotland Neck Mayor Eddie Braxton and commissioners James Gunnells, Charles Shields and Raymond Watson are up for re-election.

In Weldon commissioners John Smith and Charlotte Moss are up for re-election.

The filing period for municipal elections begins at noon on July 5 and runs through noon on July 19.

One-stop voting

Scott said the city of Roanoke Rapids has requested a one-stop or early voting location for the 2019 municipal elections.

A decision on whether the board will grant that request will most likely be made around the beginning of next year.

Typically, one-stop voting for municipal elections is held at the board of elections office in Halifax.

Scott said the board of elections “will most likely go forward” with the Roanoke Rapids request.