Mountain Xpress Letter Urges Buncombe Voters to Boost March 3 Turnout

The letter published on Feb. 15 in Mountain Xpress urged Buncombe County residents to increase participation in the March 3 primary, calling attention to historically low primary turnout and the stakes for local contests. Mountain Xpress ran the appeal two weeks before North Carolina’s primary date, framing turnout as decisive for races that will be settled before the general election.

That Feb. 15 letter included a direct reminder about voting logistics and the practical steps Buncombe voters face ahead of March 3. Mountain Xpress asked readers to note registration and voting procedures and to plan for the primary itself, emphasizing that March 3 is the day when party primaries will determine who appears on later ballots in county and state contests.

The correspondence singled out the impact of low participation on local primary contests in Buncombe County, noting that diminished turnout can alter outcomes in races decided in March rather than November. Mountain Xpress framed the March 3 primary as a critical point for resolving contested nominations that affect county governance and policy direction.

By publishing the Feb. 15 letter, Mountain Xpress sought to move the conversation from abstract turnout figures to immediate action before March 3. The letter’s timing, two weeks before the primary, reflected an urgency about the narrow window for voters to confirm registration and make plans to vote in Buncombe County’s polling places on primary day.

Mountain Xpress’s appeal on Feb. 15 rested on a clear premise: primary turnout tends to be low, and March 3 will matter for local contests in Buncombe County. The letter functions as a direct, timely reminder that the mechanics of voting and the size of the electorate on March 3 will shape which candidates advance and which local priorities receive attention in the months ahead.