Kelly White, 25, of Siler City, voted for the first time today.

White said he usually isn’t interested in politics, but the hotly contested Democratic presidential campaign drew him to the polls.

He said he originally intended to vote for Hillary Clinton but changed his mind recently because he doesn’t think she consistently supports the same policies.

"She keeps changing stuff," White said, explaining that this made him question Clinton's honesty.

He said Barack Obama consistently supports even his unpopular ideas, which indicates that he will be a stronger leader than Clinton.

"I feel like Obama will be a leader," White said. "I think Obama's strong."

Gov. Mike Easley asked communities and individuals today to step up water conservation by taking steps ranging from ceasing all outdoor watering to turning off the faucet when brushing teeth.

Easley said he did not want to invoke his emergency powers to require water rationing. Instead, he said, local public officials should respond to the problem themselves to avoid running out of water.

"There's a solution to this problem," Easley said, addressing local officials at a conference of the N.C. League of Municipalities. "We can either create more water or we can use less. I don't know about you, but I cannot make it rain."

He warned that without greater conservation, some industries could be forced to close, throwing people out of work.

Siler City in Chatham County, for instance, faces the possible closure of two industries, which would mean the loss of 1,700 jobs, Easley said. The town has 80 days worth of water remaining, and officials there have asked people to cut water use by at least 50 percent.

"This drought is unprecedented, and the action I'm going to ask you to take has so far been unprecedented," Easley said. "I call on you to be decisive, to show your leaderships, to stand up and lead by example and to ask every member of your community to do more."

Read more after the jump.

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