Light turnout marks Moore County’s first primary

Unofficial results show 120 ballots cast out of 5,531 registered voters; General Election set for Aug. 6

3:19 p.m. May 6, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County’s first primary election was a quiet one. Only 120 voters cast ballots Tuesday, May 5, in a primary that featured just one qualified candidate printed on the ballot: Republican sheriff candidate William Raline.

According to unofficial results from the Moore County Election Commission, that represented 2.17 percent of the county’s 5,531 registered voters.

Of the ballots cast, 107 were cast on Election Day, and 13 were absentee ballots. No provisional ballots were reported.

The unofficial summary showed results from all five Election Day precincts, though the results had not yet been certified. Of the total ballots cast, 95 were Republican ballots and 25 were Democratic ballots. The report also listed 24 blank ballots.

Raline received 52 votes in the Republican sheriff’s race, including 50 on Election Day and two absentee votes. Another 27 write-in votes were cast in the race, while 16 voters did not select a candidate.

Many Races Had no Qualified Candidates

Beyond the sheriff’s race, the primary results listed several offices with no qualified candidates.

On the Republican ballot, no candidate qualified for county trustee, circuit court clerk, county clerk, register of deeds, or the school board seats in Districts 1 and 3. Those races still recorded write-in votes and undervotes. The Republican county trustee race received eight write-in votes and 87 undervotes. Circuit court clerk received six write-in votes and 89 undervotes. County clerk received 14 write-in votes and 81 undervotes. Register of deeds received six write-in votes and 89 undervotes.

In the Republican school board races, District 1 received no write-in votes and 26 undervotes. District 3 received four write-in votes and 12 undervotes.

The Democratic ballot followed a similar pattern, with no qualified candidates listed for county trustee, sheriff, circuit court clerk, county clerk, register of deeds, or the school board seats in Districts 1 and 3.

The Democratic county trustee race received three write-in votes and 22 undervotes. The Democratic sheriff’s race received seven write-in votes and 18 undervotes. Circuit court clerk received five write-in votes and 20 undervotes. County clerk received eight write-in votes and 17 undervotes. Register of deeds received three write-in votes and 22 undervotes.

In the Democratic school board races, District 1 received three write-in votes and four undervotes. District 3 also received three write-in votes, with five undervotes.

No overvotes were reported in any of the races listed in the unofficial summary. The May 5 results remain unofficial until certified.

August Election Comes Next

With the primary complete, attention now shifts to Moore County’s General Election, which will be held Thursday, Aug. 6.

Voters who plan to participate in the August election should keep several dates in mind. The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, July 7. Early voting will run from Friday, July 17, through Saturday, Aug. 1. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Monday, July 27.