Decision 2008

It took 2 days, but North Carolina’s presidential selection has finally been called.

The Associated Press declared Barack Obama the winner over challenger John McCain after determining the number of outstanding provisional ballots was not enough for McCain to close a 13,693-vote deficit.

It’s kinda crazy — we finally get to play on the national election stage, but we couldn’t get it together for our electoral votes to actually get any play.

Oh well, there’s always 2012.

There are 2,348 absentee ballots being counted at the Onslow County Board of Elections according to reports.

Sheriff Ed Brown’s initial reaction to learning the sales tax bit the dirt:

“Any property owner that voted against the sales tax has not given enough thought that they have said ‘I want to pay the tax burden for the entire county.’”

Brown paid for a large ad in The Daily News two Sundays ago explaining his support for the sales tax.

President and vice president

Straight Party

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives, District 3

Governor

Lieutenant Governor

NC House District 13

NC Senate District 2

Carteret County commissioner

District 3

District 4

District 5

Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor

President and vice president

Straight Party

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives, District 3

Governor

Lieutenant Governor

NC House District 13

NC Senate District 2

Carteret County commissioner

District 3

District 4

District 5

Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor

Sheriff Ed Brown and TV news reporters talk politics while waiting election results at the Onslow County Superior Courthouse:

Left off the Carteret early voting results for NC Senate and House

NC State Senate District 2

Greg Muse (D) 31.49% 6,430

Jean Preston (R) 68.51% 13,992

NC House of Representatives District 13

Barbara Garrity-Blake (D) 41.13% 8,409

Pat McElraft (R) 58.87% 12,036

Here’s what’s up so far in the local Carteret races and the biggies (percent of vote is followed by number of votes). Excuse the formatting — we’re working on improving that.

CARTERET

President and vice president

Barack Obama, Joe Biden (D)  34.25% 7,179

John McCain, Sarah Palin (R)  64.92% 13,608

Bob Barr, Wayne A. Root (L)    .52%    108

Write-in                            .31%               66      

U.S. Senate

Kay Hagan (D)   36.78% 7,683

Elizabeth Dole (R)   59.94% 12,520

Christopher Cole (L)   3.25%    678

U.S. House of Representatives, District 3

Craig Weber (D)    30.14%    6,223

Walter B. Jones (R)   69.86     14,424

Governor

Bev Perdue (D)    46.45%  9,713

Pat McCrory (R)  51.06%  10,677

Michael C. Munger (L)  2.5%   522

Lieutenant Governor

Walter H. Dalton (D)   38.28% 7,832

Robert Pittenger (R)  59.01%  12,072

Phillip Rhodes (L)   2.71%   555

Carteret County commissioner

District 3

Nancy Veitch (D)   40.79% 8,256

Holt Faircloth (R) 59.21%  11,984

District 4

Doug Harris (R)  63.13% 11,543

Bettie Bell (U)   36.87%  6,742

District 5

Deborah Van Dyken (D)  44.37% 8,936

Pat Joyce (R) 55.63% 11,206

Carteret has posted what looks like its early voting results on the State Board of Elections Web site. Of those 20,961 votes, McCain had 13,608 or 64.92 percent of the vote. Obama had 7,179 or 34.25 percent of the vote. Barr received 108 or .52 percent. Another .31 percent opted for a write-in candidate. No word on who that is.

Carteret and Onslow county polls are now closed. Let the counting begin.