ELECTION NIGHT 8:30. BY DAVE YOCHUM. Early voting results are in for the Cornelius Town Commission race, and, while preliminary, they hint at voter sentiment. Long-time Town Commissioner Thurman Ross is in the lead with 756 votes.

Next up in early voting are: Mike Miltich, 751 votes; Kurt Naas, 748 votes; Denis Bilodeau, 744 votes; and Jim Duke, 722 votes. Long-time incumbent, Dave Gilroy, is in sixth place, with 679 votes.

It’s an 11-way contest for just five seats on the non-partisan board. Final results will trickle in this evening. Here’s the rest of the field in early voting: Tricia Sisson, 531; William Rakatansky, 504; Ava Callender, 473; Michelle Ferlauto, 411; and Richard Stilwell, 118.

Woody Washam is a shoe-in for mayor; he is running unopposed. 

In Davidson, Rusty Knox looks like a winner, with  803 early votes cast, nearly twice as many as incumbent John Woods.