Early voting ends today in North Carolina. Here's where — and why — to vote.

Voters in Mecklenburg County and across the state have until Saturday to vote early in a primary election that, in many cases, will be the election this year.

Early voting ends Saturday at the Hal Marshall Center uptown and at 15 other sites around the county.

Voters will find most of the sites familiar. The exception are new sites in Steele Creek and the University area.

A reminder: Unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in either the Republican or Democratic primary.

There are more than two dozen races in Mecklenburg County this year from Congress to clerk of court. Most will be decided this fall. But in some, where one party's candidates are unopposed, the May 8 primary and the early voting that precedes it will amount to the final election.

The primaries that will decide the office include:

▪ Mecklenburg County sheriff. Incumbent Irwin Carmichael faces fellow Democrats Antoine Ensley and Garry McFadden.

▪ Mecklenburg district attorney: Incumbent Democrat Spencer Merriweather faces attorney Toussaint Romain.

▪ County commissioner, District 2: Incumbent Vilma Leake is being challenged by fellow Democrat Angela Edwards.

▪ County commissioner, District 3: Incumbent Democrat George Dunlap faces Angela Ambroise and George Dortche.

▪ County commissioner, District 4: Three Democrats are vying for an open seat: Leigh Altman, Mark Jerrell and Queen Thompson.

Early voting sites

The Hal Marshall site remaining hours

• 10 am. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5.

Remaining hours at the other sites:

• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5.

Here are the other sites:

▪ Ballantyne Village Way, 14825 Ballantyne Village Way

▪ Beatties Ford Road Library, 2412 Beatties Ford Road.

▪ Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave.

▪ Delta Center, 5408 Beatties Ford Road.

▪ Independence Regional Library, 6000 Conference Drive.

▪ Main Library (uptown), 310 N Tryon St.

▪ Marion Diehl Recreation Center, 2219 Tyvola Road.

▪ Matthews Library, 230 Matthews Station St.

▪ Mint Hill Library, 6840 Matthews-Mint Hill Road.

▪ Morrison Regional Library. 7015 Morrison Blvd.

▪ North County Regional Library, 16500 Holly Crest Ln.

▪ South County Regional Library, 5801 Rea Road.

▪ Steele Creek, 11130 S Tryon St.

▪ University City, Old Pier 1, 8802 JW Clay Blvd.

▪ West Boulevard Library, 2157 West Blvd.

This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Early voting ends today in North Carolina. Here's where — and why — to vote.."