It's no surprise that voters have been scarce since the one-stop absentee voting period opened Thursday.

Moore County elections personnel report that no one has shown up to vote the one-stop absentee method in the Democratic second primary for state commissioner of labor. The runoff election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, but one-stop absentee voting began June 5.

Because little interest is expected in this statewide runoff, the one-stop polling place is set up in the lobby of the elections office on Pinehurst Avenue in Carthage. Hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Fridays. One-stop voting will be held on one Saturday only, June 21, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., the day that one-stop voting ends.

Eligible to vote in the runoff are registered Democrats and unaffiliated registrants who voted in the Democratic primary on May 6.

The State Board of Elections called the second primary after the May 6 primary did not produce a clear winner in the four-way race for labor commissioner. None of the candidates claimed the necessary 40 percent of the vote for victory, and the runoff will be between the two top vote-getters, Mary Fant Donnan and John C. Brooks. The winner will face Republican incumbent Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry in November.

Local elections officials also report that no one has filed for a seat on the Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors, a nonpartisan office with a filing period that differs from the period for other offices. This filing period will end at noon on July 7.

DEM WOMEN -- Tony Berk, candidate for district attorney, will be guest speaker at the Saturday, June 14, meeting of the Democratic Women of Moore County.

The 10 a.m. meeting will be held at party headquarters, 104-A McNeill St. in Carthage.

The meeting is open to all interested persons, and reservations are not required. Additional information is available by calling Mindy Fineman at 673-2640.

VETERANS -- Moore County veterans are being invited to attend the RecruitMilitary Career Fair at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Thursday, June 26, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

More than 300 veterans are expected to attend the event planned especially to help recently returning troops and other veterans and their spouses to find jobs. The fair is being produced in cooperation with President Bush's National Hire Veterans Committee (Hire Vets First), the American Legion and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. Companies known as veteran-friendly will have representatives present to discuss job opportunities with interested veterans and spouses.

BUILDINGS -- The Major Capital Projects Task Force appears to be closing in on a plan for construction of a new or expanded detention center.

The task force has called another special meeting today at 12:30 to consider architectural proposals. The group chaired by Chief Deputy Neil Godfrey is meeting in the conference room at the Public Works Complex.

The task force was formed to help the county commissioners and county administration with plans for design and construction of jail facilities, a public safety complex and a local government office building.

EFFICIENCY -- The Moore County Government Efficiency Advisory Board has called a special meeting tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the commissioners' conference room in the historic courthouse in Carthage.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at 947-4962 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.