How to vote
Early voting concludes at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. Students are able to register same-day or change their registration information at any of the following early voting sites:
▪ Wake County Board of Elections: 337 S. Salisbury St.
▪ Method Road Community Center: 514 Method Rd.
▪ Green Road Community Center: 4201 Green Rd.
▪ Anne Gordon Center for Active Adults: 1901 Spring Forest Rd.
▪ Roberts Community Center: 1300 E. Martin St.
▪ Lake Lynn Community Center: 7921 Ray Rd.
Election Day is Tuesday, Oct. 10. Polls will open beginning at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. Anyone who is in line at the time that polls close will be allowed to vote.
Most NC State students registered on-campus will have Pullen Community Center, located at 408 Ashe Ave, as their polling place. To check your voting site, go to the State Board of Elections website.
The candidates
If no mayoral candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7. With voting just days away, the following guide provides the viewpoints of the candidates listed on the ballot.
The candidates on this guide are taken from the sample ballot of an NC State student living on campus. To view your sample ballot, use the North Carolina Voter Search tool on the State Board of Elections website.
The policy positions listed below are from the candidates’ websites, interviews conducted by news outlets, including Technician, and Dialogue with Technician podcasts available on iTunes, Overcast and technician online.com.
The candidates are listed in the order that they appear on the ballot.
Mayor of Raleigh
Candidate background- Fitts was born in Raleigh and has been a lifelong Wake County resident. After finishing college in Pembroke, he has spent the last 18 years working as a mortgage lender for TowneBank Mortgage. Fitts is involved in local charities such as Children’s Flight of Hope, Jingle Ball, Green Chair and the Lighthouse Foundation.
On the issues:
Most pressing issue in Raleigh- Raleigh’s $2 billion debt.
Affordable housing- Work with builders and developers to target underutilized and underdeveloped properties to create more mixed use. Target underused areas and remove “red tape” on developers.
Transportation- Says that Raleigh has an underutilized public transit system. Wants to maximize its use before expanding it further.
NC State outreach- Believes that Carter-Finley Stadium is underutilized. Add additional seating to promote Major League Soccer using the stadium as a home site for North Carolina FC, alongside advocating for Carter-Finley to host a postseason bowl game and for NC State to play an annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
In one sentence, why should someone vote for you?
“I bring leadership to the table, and I believe my ability to read a budget and understand numbers better than any other candidates will help me be a more effective mayor.”
Candidate background- Francis was born and raised in Raleigh, and graduated from Princeton University and Duke School of Law. He currently serves as the owner of the Francis Law Firm, a private practice of trial lawyers. Francis is a trustee for the YMCA, Rex Hospital, the Research Triangle Park Foundation, and was a founding director of North State Bank.
On the issues:
Most pressing issue in Raleigh- Access to affordable housing.
Affordable housing- Will pursue construction of tax credit housing across Raleigh. Wants to utilize city programs to promote homeownership for working families, and use city-owned land for housing developments that span across income ranges.
Transportation- Invest in public transportation beyond bond packages. Study ways to get residents to their locations faster, and inform citizens about about transit opportunities to increase availability.
NC State outreach- Says affordable housing and transit issues are major hurdles for college students, and wants to create better opportunities for NC State students to be able to get around Raleigh, especially to full-time and part-time jobs, with ease.
In one sentence, why should someone vote for you?
“You should support Charles Francis for mayor so that more people can win, and because Raleigh can do so much better.”
Candidate background- McFarlane was born in Washington, DC and was raised in Arlington, Virginia. She attended the Virginia Commonwealth School of Pharmacy and the Medical College of Virginia, and in 2002, she opened a specialty pharmacy in Raleigh. McFarlane was elected twice to the Raleigh City Council in 2007 and 2009, before being elected mayor in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
On the issues:
Most pressing issue in Raleigh- Problems associated to growth, including traffic congestion, strain on resources and rise in land values.
Affordable housing- Worked with city council to create a $6 million yearly revenue stream dedicated to accessible housing. Focusing on sustainable development, and tripling affordable housing production over the next three years.
Transportation- Touts expansion of bus routes and increased public transit on weekends during her time as mayor. Wants to focus on walkable and bike-friendly communities, improved traffic calming designs and more public transportation options.
NC State outreach- Says that NC State is a “key factor” for her campaign. Wants to create a city where college students stay after they finish their degree, expand entrepreneurship community and expand opportunities for partnering with the university.
In one sentence, why should someone vote for you?
“Past performance is the best indicator of future success.”
City Council At-Large
Shelia Alamin-Khashoggi (Democrat)
Candidate background- Reverend Khashoggi graduated from Shaw University with a degree in public administration and a minor in political science. Following that, she obtained her Master’s degree in public administration from North Carolina Central University. She’s currently finishing her second Master’s degree in religious studies from Shaw University Divinity school. She’s the founder and president of the J. T. Locke Resource Center, Inc, which provides families with free educational services after school such as homework help. Khashoggi is committed to advocating for inclusive democracy, and her platform is focused on the issues of affordable housing, transportation and employment.
On NC State- Khashoggi wants to improve the transportation system for more students to benefit from it. She looks forward to serving the community.
Candidate background- A Raleigh native, Axtell attended NC State and Wake Tech. He holds degrees in economics and mechanical engineering. In his campaign, Axtell did not accept donations from corporations, groups or individuals as he feels that that money corrupted politics and he doesn’t intend to serve “some special interest group or company.” Axtell describes himself as a hands-on problem solver. He has been working in the multifamily housing industry for over 25 years. He says he is dedicated to serving everyone, regardless of race, religion, income-level, sexual orientation and physical or mental abilities.
On NC State- To create jobs, reduce costs of living and decrease the risks of climate change, Axtell plans to aggressively push for the city, and NC State, to use renewable energy, decrease water usage, upgrade lighting, and adopt various solutions that will reduce their carbon footprint. He will also push against attempts to restrict student voter rights, and will work to increase the city’s support of public education.
Candidate background- Baloch is a Raleigh native and a 2014 NC State alum. She held multiple leadership positions, dedicating much of her time as an undergraduate at NC State to social justice. Currently, she works for the North Carolina Division of Mental Health. Her past involvements in local community organization boards, she hopes, will help her make the City Council more representative of everyone the council serves including minorities. Affordable housing and access to healthy spaces such as free outdoor gyms will be some of Baloch’s main focuses if elected. Baloch is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration at UNC-Chapel Hill.
On NC State- One of the things Baloch loves about Raleigh is all the people of different backgrounds working to make it a better place. She does not believe that the city government, in its current form, is representing all of these different voices, and she wants for students to know how that affects almost every aspect of their daily lives.
“I would like the Wolfpack to know the importance of having representation in our city’s government,” Baloch said. “Our local elected officials are the ones who dictate the local laws, policies and budgets that affect us the most, and these officials are being elected every year with little citizen involvement… Local politics influence all of the decisions that have a direct influence on our day-to-day lives, from the laws we’re most worried about abiding by, to the streets we drive on and whether or not they’re riddled with potholes, to whether or not the construction on Hillsborough will end, and more.”
Stacy Miller III (Independent)
Candidate background- A lawyer, Miller attended Wake Forest University and Campbell Law School. He is a Raleigh native, and is focused on issues such as keeping Raleigh safe and attracting entrepreneurship and accelerating business growth. Miller worked in the Wake County District Attorney’s office before starting his own law firm. National Trial Lawyers included him in their Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States list. Miller was briefly appointed by a unanimous vote in 1997 to fill a council vacancy for District D. Miller and his wife are expecting their first child this fall.
On NC State- Miller did not respond by the time of publication.
Candidate background- Stephenson is running for reelection this year. A graduate from NC State with degrees in architecture and environmental design, he was first elected to the Raleigh City Council in 2005. Before that, had experience serving on the public schools’ PTA Board, and was a guest lecturer at NC State. In his eight years on the City Council, Stephenson focused on ensuring that Raleigh grows sustainably while maintaining economic competitivity and conserving the environment. The Raleigh Wake Citizens Association, Sierra Club and Wake County Democratic Party are some of the groups endorsing Stephenson this year.
On NC State- Managing growth, affordability of housing and mobility represent the top issues concerning the community for Stephenson. As councilman, he voted for the new Raleigh Union Station and the Wake Transit Plan, which should quadruple bus services in Raleigh. He expects to make significant progress in the future regarding these top priority issues.
“… if we want to be a great city, rather than a city of winners and losers, our goal must be to build a stronger infrastructure of equity and opportunity in education, healthcare, housing, transit and jobs… ,” Stephenson said. “This will require a strong partnership between NC State and Raleigh, plus the talents and determination of NC State students who are up for the challenge of building a great city.”
Candidate background- Raised in Apex, Stewart spent most of her life in Wake County. She came back to Raleigh after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in environmental studies. She is a working mother of two, and a career environmentalist who worked as an organizer and a fundraiser for the North Carolina Conservation Network. Empowering women and communities of color are very important to Stewart. She received endorsements from the Sierra Club, former Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and Wake County Commissioner Jessica Holmes.
On NC State- Stewart wants to “be a voice for ALL of Raleigh.” She wants to make sure that students today have the same opportunity to stay in Raleigh as she did.
“Being able to stay means that they can afford to live here, to have access to good paying jobs and sustainable transportation solutions, and to live in a progressive and tolerant community,” Stewart said.
Robert E. Ward IV (Republican)
Candidate background- Born and raised in Raleigh, Ward attended Wake Tech and NC State, where he studied business management. Ward has experience in retail and used to be a business owner before receiving his license in real estate. He currently works as a broker at HTR Commercial. Ward shares the same campaign website with mayoral candidate Paul Fitts and District A candidate, Alex Moore. This coalition, Three 4 Raleigh, is concerned with issues of debt, public safety and affordable housing.
On NC State- Ward sees an excellent partner for business and technology in Centennial Campus. He encourages increasing recruitment for technology and manufacturing businesses over there. Also, Ward hopes to bring more Holiday revenue to Raleigh and NC State through creating a new tradition of an annual Thanksgiving Day football game, and other sports-centered projects.
“I think the MLS should try a joint venture with Carter-Finley before trying to build a stadium downtown,” Ward said.
