On Monday, Oct. 21, NC House District 59 Rep. Alan Branson, who’s currently running to keep that seat, said he had spoken to Guilford County Board of Elections Director Charlie Collicutt regarding the fact that former president Donald Trump had decided to hold a Tuesday, Oct. 22 campaign rally at the Greensboro Coliseum – which also just happens to be one of Guilford County’s early voting sites.
Monday, Collicutt was trying to arrange the logistics of keeping the site open in the face of Trump’s suddenly announced Greensboro rally, which will no doubt be giant.
“I think he was pulling his hair out,” Branson said of Collicutt.
However, like the show, early voting must go on – and so it will at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center, where the polling site will remain open during the presidential candidate’s large campaign rally.
“Republican nominee for President, former President Donald Trump, will hold a campaign event at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center on Tuesday, Oct. 22,” the press release from Guilford County announced on Monday, Oct. 21. “This event will occur in the same building as one of the 28 Guilford County early voting sites as early voting continues. Though the campaign event poses logistical challenges, early voting will continue to operate from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. as planned. Parking will be designated for voters and curbside voting will continue for voters who cannot enter the building. Voters will not have to go through scanners if they are there to vote only. Event attendees will have to be rescanned if they leave the event area to vote.”
Inside the Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Events Center, the voting and the rally will take place in separate wings – and voters won’t be allowed to cross over into the event side. In fact, there will be a 50-foot buffer zone between the entrance to the building in which no electioneering may take place.
On Tuesday, in order to cast their ballots, voters will have to enter the Greensboro Coliseum Complex using the Patterson Street entrance off Gate City Boulevard.
Trump rally attendees, on the other hand, will have to enter through the Coliseum Boulevard entrances.
Early voting in Guilford County will continue through Saturday, Nov. 2 at the 28 early voting sites in the county. Anyone who wants details regarding early voting dates, times, and sites can visit www.guilfordelections.org.
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