The Robesonian will publish stories on new filings for the municipal elections on an as-needed basis. Candidates are invited to come to The Robesonian office to provide basic information for the story. The Robesonian will not contact candidates. Candidates are asked to, provide the information immediately. Candidates who elect not to provide information will only be listed as having filed for office — editor.

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LUMBERTON — Although the filing period for candidates interested in running for North Carolina municipal offices officially begins Friday at noon, Robeson County candidates will have to wait until Monday to file because the county Board of Elections is closed for the Fourth of July holiday.

The lost filing day, however, does not mean that an extra day will be added to the filing period that ends on Friday, July 17, at noon.

“State statute just says that those interested in running for municipal offices can file no earlier than noon on the first Friday in July and no later than noon on the third Friday in July,” said Dock Locklear, director of Robeson County’s board of elections.

In this year’s Nov. 3 general election, mayoral and town board seats are up for grabs in the county’s 15 municipalities. County offices will be contested in 2010.

All of the 15 municipalities will elect council members, but only 11 will elect a mayor. There will be no mayoral races in Lumberton, Pembroke, St. Pauls or Maxton.

Those wishing to run in the non-partisan elections, can file at the county board of elections office at 108 W. Elizabethtown Road from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekdays during the filing period. The filing fee is $25 for mayor and $15 for council.

Locklear said there will probably be low voter turnout for this year’s general election since there are no county races, such as sheriff. Also, in the county’s largest municipalities, there are no mayoral races.

“This should be a simple, straightforward election,” Locklear said. “

The municipalities and seats to be filled are:

— Lumberton: council districts 2, 3, 5 and 8, four-year terms.

— Fairmont: mayor, four-year term; three council, four-year terms.

— Lumber Bridge: mayor, four-year term; two council, four-year terms.

— Marietta: mayor, two-year term; two council, four-year terms.

— McDonald: mayor, two-year term; three council, two-year terms.

— Maxton: two council, four-year terms.

— Orrum: mayor, two-year term; four council, two-year terms.

— Parkton: mayor, two-year term; five council, two-year terms.

— Pembroke: two council, four-year terms.

— Proctorville: mayor, two-year term; three council, two-year terms.

— Raynham: mayor, two-year term; three council, two-year terms.

— Red Springs: mayor, two-year term; three council, four-year terms.

— Rennert: mayor, four-year term; two council, four-year terms.

— Rowland: mayor, two-year term; two council, four-year terms.

— St. Pauls: council districts 1, 2, 3 and 4, four-year terms.