news-record.com

After a weeklong extension of the election filing period, Sedalia now has five candidates vying for three open at-large council seats.
 

The new filing deadline was noon Friday.
 

Residents Veronica Lewis, Keith Carter and Shinita Wrenwick will add their names to the ballot for the November election.
 

Incumbent councilwomen Ophelia Jones and Valerie Mack had already filed for re-election.
 

The Guilford County Board of Elections extended the filing period for Sedalia after the town had fewer candidates than open positions.
 

“In the past, we haven’t had a problem getting people to run,” Mayor Howard J. Morgan said.
 

George Gilbert, director of elections for Guilford County, said in a previous interview that the extension allows for the council members to recruit candidates who are willing to serve.
 

“We’ve got good people in the community and a couple we were in contact with said they just have too much on their plate right now,” Morgan said.
 

In the absence of candidates, the write-in option plays a bigger role, he said. The write-in candidate with the most votes would be declared the winner.
 

Now that there are more candidates than seats, the write-in option is still available, but voters have a pool of candidates from which to choose.
 

 
Contact Tiffany S. Jones at 373-7157 or tiffany.jones @news-record.com