The election Tuesday could bring some big changes to how the Wake County school system decides the makeup of its classrooms or how the suburban town of Cary deals with growth.
But it may be that just a few voters decide which elected officials get to make those decisions in municipal and school board contests Tuesday in Wake and Durham counties, where turnout is anticipated to barely reach into double digits and most of the contests are limited to district seats instead of countywide or citywide races that draw a bigger pool of voters.
Low turnout in an October election is not unexpected, and this one lacks a highly contested mayoral race or the national and statewide battles that drive voters to the polls. And the hottest race -- for the Wake school board -- is driven by highly emotional issues that affect the entire county, such as the board's diversity policy, student reassignments and year-round schools. But this contest is geographically restricted to voters living within the four districts seats on the ballot.
Though the call for voters to cast ballots has grown in recent days, especially in the Wake school board races, turnout Tuesday will most certainly end up being a fraction of what was seen in the presidential election in November, when a record 70 percent of North Carolina's 6.2 million eligible voters cast ballots.
Polls will be open early Tuesday morning in Wake and Durham counties as voters get their chances to decide who will run the governmental bodies closest to them, the city and town councils that decide what streets to pave and school boards that decide how best to educate students.
In Cary, voters will wade into a continuing debate of how and at what speed the town should grow. In Wake County, the races for four of the nine seats on the school board are being seen as a pass-or-fail test on the system's controversial, but nationally recognized, policy of maintaining diversity in classrooms for the nearly 140,000 students in North Carolina's largest school district.
Further off the radar are municipal elections in Durham and Raleigh where some of the most visible signs that an election is about to take place are the occasional clump of political placards planted in yards or the side of the road.
Durham voters will have to narrow an eight-candidate field for two ward seats on the Durham City Council.
The election Tuesday will decide who makes it to a November 3 general election, a contest that will also feature a third ward contest and Mayor Bill Bell's quest for another term.
In Raleigh's nonpartisan elections, Mayor Charles Meeker is facing three previously unknown challengers, none of whom is expected to topple Meeker, a popular mayor seen as a key part of the city's downtown revitalization. But how many votes the mayor gets could offer insight into whether voters are satisfied with Meeker's leadership and the city's direction.
Raleigh residents also will choose among four candidates, including two incumbents, for two council-at-large seats as well as four other council district seats.
Diversity policies
The vote to elect school board members in four Wake County districts could result in a dramatic turnaround for a system that has earned kudos from educators, academics and some parents.
But Wake County's current school administration and board have drawn criticism from other families, who say the practice of busing to achieve economic diversity creates harsh inconvenience without measurable benefit for low-income students.
Both political parties are pouring in money and effort, hoping to affect the board's direction in races where turnout is typically low.
Only one incumbent -- Horace Tart, who represents a district that includes Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Willow Spring -- is on the ballot, and opponents of the current board's policies, which include growth-driven student reassignments and year-round school calendars, see an opportunity to gain control.
Meanwhile, in Cary, town residents will have to decide whether to keep two incumbents in the only contested races, but the large number of opponents for a District A seat could force a November run-off if no one candidate gets 50 percent of the vote. Crowded fields in the District 1 and District 2 seats for the Wake school board could also result in a runoff Nov. 3.
When Cary residents cast their votes, they'll be weighing in on whether the affluent, suburban town should welcome developers or adopt a policy ofgrowing at a slower pace. That slow-growth preference was what ushered Mayor Harold Weinbrecht in during his 2007 upset of former Mayor Ernie McAlister.
One of the biggest challenges candidates, both experienced and novice, have in this race is getting people out to the polls.
"It's hard to get anybody excited about a city council race in an off year," said Ted Van Dyk, a Raleigh architect challenging incumbent Thomas Crowder for a seat on Raleigh's city council. "We've had to work hard."
Staff writer Thomas Goldsmith contributed to this report.
