HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard Meeting Agenda Packet 08-19-2025MEETING AGENDA
Date: August 19, 2025 Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Bd of Elections Office, Conference Room Type: Special
Scheduled Attendees:
Jamie Getty, Chair Rae Hunter-Havens, Director
John Lyon, Secretary Caroline Schulte, Deputy Director
Derrick R. Miller, Member Joey Worsley, Database & Systems Specialist
James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Administrative Technician
Beverly Setz, Member Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel
Visitor(s): Lisa Wurtzbacher, Assistant County Manager
AGENDA ITEMS
1.Meeting Opening
a.Call to Order
b.Pledge of Allegiance
c.Approval of Agenda
d.Approval of Minutes
2.Public Comment Period
•2-minute limit
•20-minute limit total
3.New Business
a.Resolution to Adopt a Time for Counting Absentee Ballots
b.2025 Municipal Elections Notice
c.Temporary Transfer of Voters for Precincts H06, H08 and H11
d.Proposed Polling Place Change for Precinct W25
e.2025-2027 Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) Appointments
f.2025-2027 Chief Judge and Judge Appointments
g.Appointment of Early Voting Officials
4.General Discussion
•Other Elections-Related Matters
5.Closed Session (N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 143-318.11(a)(3) and (a)(6)
6.Adjournment
*Agenda packets are sent via email in advance of meetings.
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Approval of Agenda
Summary:
N/A
Board Action Required:
Staff recommends approval
Item # 1c
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Approval of Minutes
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 163-31(e) and 143-318.10(e)
Summary:
This includes minutes from the 6/10/2025, 7/22/2025 and 8/06/2025 meetings.
Board Action Required:
Staff recommends approval
Item # 1d Item # 1d
Board Minutes – 06/10/2025 Page | 1
REGULAR MEETING
New Hanover County Board of Elections
June 10, 2025
5:30 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Members: Derrick R. Miller, Chair
James Battle Morgan, Jr., Secretary
Natalie Hinton-Stalling, Member
Bruce Kemp, Member
Tom Morris, Member
Staff: Rae Hunter-Havens, Executive Director
Jessica O’Neill, Elections Program and Outreach Coordinator
Beth Pugh, Elections Specialist
Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Administrative Elections Technician
Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel
Visitors: Tufanna Bradley, Assistant County Manager
Public Attendees: Wendy Hunt, NHCDP; Sonya Bennetone-Patrick, National Black
Leadership Caucus
Virtual Attendees: Anna F.; Zachary Stern; Denise Brown
1. MEETING OPENING
a. Call to Order
Chair Miller called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of
Elections meeting was held in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center
Drive, Wilmington, NC. All members were present.
Chair Miller reminded the audience, Board and staff to silence their cell phones; that the
meeting is being recorded and live streamed over the internet; and that, due to sensitive
microphones, it is essential that the audience avoid conversation and crosstalk during
Board discussion.
b. Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Miller invited all in attendance to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Board Minutes – 06/10/2025 Page | 2
c. Approval of Agenda
Chair Miller said he would like to take up item 5, Closed Session, immediately after item
2, Public Comment and called for any objections. Hearing none, the agenda is approved
as amended by unanimous consent.
d. Approval of Minutes
Chair Miller called on the Board for any edits, changes or corrections to the minutes of
the 05/13/2025 meeting. Hearing none, he said the minutes are approved by unanimous
consent.
2._PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
Chair Miller called upon the public attendees for their comments or questions, limited to
two minutes each with a total maximum time of twenty minutes.
Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Miller closed the
Public Comment period.
5. CLOSED SESSION
Chair Miller moved to enter closed session to receive legal advice pursuant to NC
Gen. Stat. §143-318.11(3), seconded by Member Kemp. Motion carried unanimously.
The Board met in closed session beginning at 5:32 p.m. and returned to open session at
6:14 p.m.
3. DIRECTOR’S UPDATE
Chair Miller called on Director Hunter-Havens for her reports:
a. Financial Update
The Director reported 95.7% of the operating expense budget and 91.4% of salaries are
expended through May. The salaries budget is cushioned by 2 vacancies since late
November.
b. List Maintenance
Director Hunter-Havens reported that list maintenance in May resulted in removal of 487
voter registrations and processed 738 new registrations, 335 registrations without
changes, and 719 voter registration updates. The agenda packet includes additional
information about the sources of registration, snapshots of administrative processes, and a
breakdown of county voter registrations.
Board Minutes – 06/10/2025 Page | 3
c. Administrative Updates
(1) Recent guidance from the NC State Board of Elections noted SB382 requires new
Board members for 2025-2027 to be appointed on the last Tuesday in June, June 24, will
serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and will take their oath on the
third Tuesday in July, July 22. That timing creates the situation where there is no Board
authorized to act between June 24 and July 22. The Director asked the Board to
authorize cancelling the scheduled regular meeting of July 15. After discussion, the
Board had no objection to the Director giving notice of the cancellation of the July 15
meeting.
(2) Director Hunter-Havens said one of her goals for FY25-26 is to work with the Board
to develop a strategic plan to serve as a road map for the 2025-28 presidential election
cycle. She thanked Member Morris for suggesting it. She proposes beginning
discussions with the Board in August. Board members expressed their support for a
strategic plan along with review of the mission statement, Member Morris noting that a
strategic plan provides additional support for future budget requests.
(3) Director Hunter-Havens reported that site planning is underway for the municipal
election early voting plan which will be presented to the July 22 meeting ahead of the
August 8 deadline for submission to the State Board.
Regarding the municipal absentee meetings, she asked the Board for their input about the
space limitations for reviewing and scanning absentee ballots in the Board meeting room
while balancing early voting and public access with preserving ballot confidentiality.
She is exploring several options with county stakeholders to present to the Board at the
July 22 meeting. Board members agreed that the conference room is not practical for
conducting the absentee voting meetings while recognizing this decision will be made by
the new Board.
In response to a question from Chair Miller about municipal early voting plans, Director
Hunter-Havens reported she has contacted the municipalities to gauge their interest in
hosting and paying the cost of a municipal early voting site.
Chair Miller requested an update on the FY25-26 County budget. Director Hunter-
Havens said she was advised the previous day that the Commissioners appear to be
leaning toward a tax rate of 30.9 cents. She noted that the request for raising election
official compensation and a position reassignment were incorporated into the
continuation budget which now may be subject to reductions to balance the budget at that
tax rate. Assistant County Manager Bradley added that the Commissioners have a work
session on June 12 at 2:00 p.m. and will vote to adopt the budget at the regular meeting
on June 16. Chair Miller asked whether the Commissioners would receive public
comments at either meeting. Assistant County Manager said the Commissioners have
already held the public hearing and the public comment session comes at the end of their
regular meetings.
Director Hunter-Havens reported she has done a preliminary review to identify possible
Board Minutes – 06/10/2025 Page | 4
reductions in the continuation budget in case that is required.
Member Morris asked about the status of hiring to fill the existing vacancies. Director
Hunter-Havens said start dates in June and July are set for each new hire.
In response to a question from Member Kemp, the enhancement request for the election
official management software is not in the current recommended budget.
4. GENERAL DISCUSSION
Chair Miller opened the general discussion regarding the recent social media remarks
insinuating that this Board has done dishonest things and called on Board Legal Counsel
Payne for assistance in navigating a response to these public claims.
Mr. Payne said he had reviewed the social media posts, finding there were legal issues
raised, but beyond discussion and correction of incorrect information in this public
forum, there is no action to be taken at this time. The comments say the Board was
“hiding ballots”, which is a misstatement of fact, and violated the law, which is a
misunderstanding of the election law.
The statutes classify errors in procedure in three categories: a violation of the law, an
irregularity, or misconduct. There is no misconduct or violation of the law on these facts.
The Board’s legal obligation is to count all ballots cast in an election, a fact the Parker
Poe report acknowledges was done. At best, the delay in counting some absentee ballots
might be considered an irregularity. Mr. Payne concluded by saying these are the points
for productive discussion moving forward which fall more in a policy discussion than
legal issues. These points are on the table and ought to be addressed in this forum, not on
social media.
Hearing no questions or comments from the Board for Mr. Payne, Chair Miller thanked
him for his guidance and called on the Board members for any additional items for
discussion.
Member Kemp asked about scheduling a time for the July 22 meeting for the new
Board’s organizational meeting. Following brief discussion, Chair Miller moved to set a
meeting time of 5:30 p.m. for the July 22 meeting, seconded by Secretary Morgan.
Motion carried unanimously.
Member Kemp recommended that the Director notify the local party chairs of the State
Board Conference being held on July 28-29 in Wilmington, including required training
for new Board members. The Director said she will check with the State Board of
Elections to determine if information about the training conference was shared with the
nominees and make sure the local party chairs have the information as well
Secretary Morgan asked the Director to notify the local party chairs of the meeting time
for the July meeting.
Board Minutes – 06/10/2025 Page | 5
Hearing no further topics or questions, Chair Miller invited the Board members to make
any parting comments since this is their last Board meeting together.
Assistant County Manager asked if the Board would be comfortable providing their
comments for the Director’s evaluation, which will be due July 15, by email. The Board
concurred.
Hearing no additional comments, Chair Miller called for a motion to adjourn.
6.ADJOURNMENT
Member Morris moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Member Hinton-Stalling.
Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m.
The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on July 22, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., at the
Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC.
APPROVED BY: RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
____________________________________________________________
JAMES BATTLE MORGAN, JR.RAE HUNTER-HAVENS
SECRETARY ELECTIONS DIRECTOR
Board Minutes – 07/22/2025 Page | 1
SPECIAL MEETING
New Hanover County Board of Elections
July 22, 2025
5:30 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Members: Jamie Getty, Chair
John Lyon, Secretary
Derek Miller, Member
James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member
Beverly Setz, Member
Staff:Rae Hunter-Havens, Executive Director
Jessica O’Neill, Elections Program and Outreach Coordinator
Joey Worsley, Database & Systems Specialist
Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Administrative Technician
Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel
Visitors: Tufanna Bradley, Assistant County Manager
Public Attendees: Fran Sulak; Susan Kreamer; Tom Kreamer; Grant Burchette;
Clarice Reber, Jana Albritton, League of Women Voters LCF;
Wendy Hunt, NHCDP; John Hinnant, NHC GOP
Virtual Attendees: Denise Brown; Zachary Stern
1.MEETING OPENING
a.Call to Order
Chair Getty called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of
Elections meeting was held in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center
Drive, Wilmington, NC. All members were present.
b.Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Getty invited all in attendance to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS
a. 2025-2027 Oath Ceremony for Board of Election Members
The Honorable James H. Faison, III, New Hanover County District Court Judge,
Board Minutes – 07/22/2025 Page | 2
administered the Oath to the Board members and signed and presented their Certificates
of Oath.
b. Approval of Agenda
Member Lyon moved to approve the agenda as submitted. Motion carried unanimously.
c. Election of Secretary
Chair Getty nominated Member Lyon to serve as Secretary. Hearing no other
nominations, Chair Getty called for the vote. Member Lyon was elected unanimously.
d. Adoption of Regular Meeting Schedule
Chair Getty called for consideration of the Board of Elections 2025 Meeting Schedule.
Secretary Lyon moved to approve the schedule as submitted. Motion carried
unanimously.
3._PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
Chair Getty called upon the public attendees for their comments or questions, limited to
two minutes each with a total maximum time of twenty minutes.
Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getty closed the
Public Comment period.
4. NEW BUSINESS
a. Approval of Minutes
Secretary Lyon moved to approve the minutes of the 06/18/2025 Board meeting as
submitted. Motion carried unanimously.
b. 2025 Municipal Elections Early Voting Plan
Chair Getty called on Director Hunter-Havens to present the proposed Early Voting Plan.
The Base Plan calls for one site, either the Office site or the Northeast Library Paynter
Room as an in-lieu-of-office site, with these operating dates and times
Week 1: Thursday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Week 2: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday,
12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Week 3: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
The office site would conduct Early Voting in the 1,400 sq. ft. Elections Office
Multipurpose room adjacent to this Conference Room or in the 2,700 sq. ft. Paynter
Board Minutes – 07/22/2025 Page | 3
Room at the Northeast Library as the in-lieu-of-office site. By statute, the in-lieu-of-
office site must be in the same city or town as the county Board of Elections, and either
within 4 miles of the county board office or within 10 minutes driving time using Google
maps or a similar online calculator.
Director Hunter-Havens also presented an Expanded Plan which adds an additional site at
the Carolina Beach Police Training Room, as the Town requested. The Carolina Beach
site, as proposed, would operate these dates and times:
Week 2: Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Week 3: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
Member Miller suggested opening a downtown site instead of the Carolina Beach site.
He noted that the municipal elections are revenue neutral because the municipalities
reimburse the costs of operating voting sites. Chair Miller said that a downtown site
would better serve the City of Wilmington voters and voters who rely on public
transportation. Based on her conversations with county stakeholders, Director Hunter-
Havens stated that the reduction of the Board of Elections operations budget by $261,000
is independently of the revenue generated. The Board has the authority to adopt an Early
Voting Plan that the Board finds reasonable and appropriate.
After Board questions and discussion, Secretary Lyon moved to approve one Early
Voting site at the Northeast Library for the statutory hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on
weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the final Saturday. After discussion on the
motion, Secretary Lyon amended his motion to approve the Base Plan for the Northeast
Library which includes weekend hours on the second weekend, seconded by Chair Getty.
Motion carried unanimously.
5. GENERAL DISCUSSION
Director Hunter-Havens noted the State Board’s Resolution adopted the previous day
authorizes a county board to extend candidate filing by 5 days if no candidates filed for
one or more contests, which does not apply to New Hanover County since at least one
candidate filed for every municipal contest.
6. CLOSED SESSION
Chair Getty moved to enter closed session to discuss personnel matters and receive legal
advice pursuant to NC Gen. Stat. §143-318.11(a) (3) and (a) (6), seconded by Secretary
Lyon. Motion carried unanimously.
The Board entered closed session at 6:17 p.m. and returned to open session at 7:25 p.m.
Upon returning to open session, Chair Getty moved to continue the meeting in open
session, approved by unanimous consent.
Board Minutes – 07/22/2025 Page | 4
7. ADJOURNMENT
Director Hunter-Havens asked whether the Board would like to meet August 12 as
scheduled. The Board must meet by statute on August 19 to consider chief judge and
judge appointments and may conduct regular business as needed. Chair Getty moved to
cancel the August 12 meeting, seconded by Member Miller. Motion carried
unanimously.
Member Morgan said he wanted to make the Board aware of his scheduling conflict for
the required Board meeting on November 7. Member Miller said he has a conflict for the
absentee meeting on October 14. Both meetings require the presence of a bipartisan
quorum of three members to count absentee and provisional ballots. Members Miller and
Morgan agreed to coordinate their schedules for those dates to ensure a bipartisan
quorum.
Director Hunter-Havens said the Board may want to consider cancelling the September
30 Special meeting because absentee ballots for a municipal election are not mailed out
until October 5, 30 days before Election Day. The Board agreed to defer a decision to
cancel for later action.
The Board will be required to meet on Election Day to consider and approve any
additional absentee ballots received through 7:30 p.m. which must be counted on Election
Day. Director Hunter-Havens said she is awaiting further guidance from the State Board
to address conducting that Board meeting on Election Day. The time for the November 7
meeting is not yet determined but will likely take place in the afternoon. Pending cures
for an absentee or provisional ballot must be in the office by noon that day for Board
action.
Assistant County Manager Tufanna Bradley said that Assistant County Manager Lisa
Wurtzbacher will become the Board’s staff liaison beginning with the August 19
meeting. The County Manager has reassigned tasks among the Assistant County
Managers. The Board thanked her for her service to the Board of Elections.
Chair Getty moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Secretary Lyon. Motion carried
unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on August 19, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., at the
Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC.
APPROVED BY: RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
_______________________________ _____________________________
JOHN LYON RAE HUNTER-HAVENS
SECRETARY ELECTIONS DIRECTOR
Board Minutes – 08/06/2025 Page | 1
SPECIAL MEETING
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 6, 2025
5:30 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Members: Jamie S. Getty, Chair
John Lyon, Secretary
Derrick R. Miller, Member
James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member
Beverly Setz, Member
Staff: Rae Hunter-Havens, Executive Director
Caroline Schulte, Deputy Director
Beth Pugh, Elections Specialist
Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist
Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Administrative Elections Technician
Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel (attended virtually)
Visitors: Tufanna Bradley, Assistant County Manager
Public Attendees: The Rev. Jody Greenwood; Clarice Reber, Jana Albritton, Pamela
Price, Carol Morris, League of Women Voters LCF; Spero
Pekatos; Paul Niggl; Jill Hopman, NHCDP; Julius Rothlein, NHC
GOP; Barbara Kosikowski; Henry Kosikowski; Jenne Holcombe;
Elli Klein, Women Forward; Esther Murphy; Daniel Sheehan;
Elaine Syres; Brenna Flanagan, Port City Daily; Conor Doherty,
WWAY; Delaney Tarpley; Lindsay Maitland. An additional 20
public attendees signed in but could not be seated due to meeting
room capacity.
Virtual Attendees: Denise Brown; Tyler Cralle; Virginia Adams; Pamela Keeney;
Erin Williamson; Martin Feurer; Kym Crowell; Telephone
attendee; WHQR; Barbara Landers; Crystal Whittaker; Doc
Jarden; Haley Sweetland; Cassidy Santaguida; WECT; Don
Hickman; Ben Schachtman; Grant; Dawn Grieb; Sally Peel; RR;
Charlie Fossen; Natalie Hinton-Stalling; Alex Dumars; JJ
Coccoma; Brenna; Laura; Anne York.
Board Minutes – 08/06/2025 Page | 2
1. MEETING OPENING
a. Call to Order
Chair Getz called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of
Elections meeting was held in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center
Drive, Wilmington, NC. All members were present.
b. Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Getz called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
c. Approval of Agenda
Member Miller moved to adopt the agenda as presented. Agenda adopted by unanimous
consent.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
Chair Getz called upon the public attendees for their comments or questions, limited to
two minutes each with a total maximum time of ten minutes.
Public attendees the Rev. Jody Greenwood, Spero Pekatos, Jill Hopman, and Carol
Morris spoke in favor of adding 3 additional sites for early voting for improved voter
access; Julius Rothlein opposed additional sites due to cost and lack of adequate staffing.
Director Hunter-Havens distributed a packet to Board members containing public
comments received by email and the Wilmington City Council resolution supporting
addition of the Senior Resource Center and a downtown location for early voting.
Seeing and hearing no additional public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getz closed
the Public Comment period.
3. NEW BUSINESS
• 2025 Municipal Elections Early Voting Plan
Chair Getty called on Director Hunter-Havens to present the report. The Director gave a
summary of the options to add early voting sites at the Senior Resource Center, Carolina
Beach Police Training Room, and either the Skyline Center or the CFCC MacLeod
Building as a downtown site, as requested by the Wilmington City Council and the
Carolina Beach Town Council. The Director reported on the available facilities and
Deputy Director Caroline Schulte reported on the staffing and operational needs and
challenges.
After the Board weighed the merits of the possible sites, Secretary Lyon moved to open
four early voting sites: Northeast Library, Senior Resource Center, CFCC MacLeod
Board Minutes – 08/06/2025 Page | 3
Building, and Carolina Beach Police Training Room, seconded by Member Morgan.
Motion carried unanimously.
Director Hunter-Havens reviewed the statutory requirements for early voting site
operations. The in-lieu-of office site at the Northeast Library must be open during office
hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the weekdays, at a minimum, and on the last Saturday
from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Satellite locations may operate different hours from the
office site, but all satellite locations must be open during the same days and hours. The
Board discussed several options for the early voting schedule. Member Miller moved to
operate according to the proposed Expanded Plan 1 with staggered start date and same
hours as the office site, seconded by Member Lyon. Under this plan, the office site will
open 15 days, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the second
weekend, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the final Saturday. The satellite sites will open 8
days, beginning with the second weekend from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and
Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the weekdays, and 8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. on the final
Saturday. Motion carried unanimously.
4. GENERAL DISCUSSION
Member Lyon thanked Chair Getty for calling this special meeting to address the
community’s request for additional early voting sites.
Member Miller expressed his appreciation for the bipartisan support of the county parties,
the Board, the municipal governing bodies, and the public to add these early voting sites.
5.CLOSED SESSION
Chair Getz said there is no business requiring a closed session.
6.ADJOURNMENT
Secretary Lyon moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion
carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on August 19, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., at the
Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC.
APPROVED BY: RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
_____________________________________________________________
JOHN LYON RAE HUNTER-HAVENS
SECRETARY ELECTIONS DIRECTOR
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Public Comment Period
Summary:
This is an opportunity for members of the public to provide comments on elections-related matters.
Each commenter will be limited to two minutes. There is a limit of 20 minutes total for the public
comment period.
Board Action Required:
Discuss as necessary
Item # 2 Item # 2
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Resolution to Adopt a Time for Counting Absentee Ballots
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules:
N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 163-234(2), 163- 234(11), and 163-182.2(a)(4), Session Law 2023-140 (S747), and
Session Law 2024-57 (SB 382)
Summary:
The county board of elections may begin counting approved absentee ballots issued under Article
21A (Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act) of NC General Statutes Chapter 163, between the
hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm and may begin counting all approved absentee ballots between the
hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm upon the adoption of a resolution at least two weeks prior to the
election in which the hour and place of counting absentee ballots shall be stated. All non-challenged
and approved absentee ballots received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, must be counted on Election
Day. Cure documentation for curable absentee ballot deficiencies must be received no later than
12:00 pm noon on the third business day after the election, which is November 7, 2025, for the
municipal elections.
Additional action must be taken to count cured supplemental absentee ballots and provisional
ballots by the third business day after the election. Specifically, the county board must announce the
tally of all absentee ballots, except those subject to a challenge or those cast in accordance with
Article 21A of NC General Statutes Chapter 163, by 5:00 pm on Friday, November 7, 2025. Lastly,
provisional ballots must be counted by 5:00 pm on November 7, 2025.
In addition, the Board may pass a resolution to provide for an additional meeting following Election
Day and prior to canvass to count the supplemental absentee ballots approved by the Board.
Attached is a resolution to adopt a time for counting absentee and provisional ballots at 2:00 PM on
November 4, 7, and 13, 2025. This resolution must be run in a paper having general circulation in the
county once weekly during the two-week period prior to the election.
Document/s Included:
Resolution to Adopt a Time for Counting Absentee Ballots
Board Action Required:
Staff recommends approval
Item # 2 Item # 3a
RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE TIME FOR COUNTING OF
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
At a meeting duly called and held on the 19th day of August 2025, the New Hanover County
Board of Elections unanimously adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS the county board of elections is authorized upon adoption of a resolution to begin
counting of civilian absentee ballots between the hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm on Election Day;
WHEREAS such resolution also may provide for an additional meeting following the day of the
election and prior to the day of canvass to count absentee ballots received pursuant to N.C. Gen.
Stat. § 163-231(b)(1) or (2);
WHEREAS the time and dates designated for these meetings will be at 2:00 pm, on November
4, 7, and 13 for the purpose of counting absentee ballots;
WHEREAS the location of these meetings shall be at the New Hanover County Board of
Elections Office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403;
WHEREAS the board shall not announce the results of the count before 7:30 pm on Election
Day;
WHEREAS these meetings are open to all who may want to attend; and,
WHEREAS the adoption of this resolution is in compliance with North Carolina General
Statutes §§ 163-234(2) and 163-234(11) will be published in a newspaper of general circulation
in the county within the statutory time frame.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the New Hanover County Board of Elections
hereby unanimously approves the Counting of Absentee Ballots for the 2025 Municipal
Elections to begin at 2:00 pm on November 4, 7 and 13.
Jamie Getty, Chair
StarNews Publication – October 21st & October 28th
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
2025 Municipal Elections Notice
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat § 163-33(8)
Summary:
County Boards of Election across North Carolina are required to place a legal notice in the paper that
informs voters of the upcoming election. This notice must be run in a newspaper having general
circulation in the county once a week during the 20-day period preceding the voter registration
deadline.
Document/s Included:
2025 Municipal Elections Notice
Board Action Required:
Staff recommends approval
Item # 3b
NOTICE OF ELECTION
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
The municipal election for the City of Wilmington and Towns of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach
and Wrightsville Beach will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with
or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find
out more at ncsbe.gov/voter-id.
All polling places within the municipal boundaries of each jurisdiction will be open from
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, October 16, 2025, to
Saturday, November 1, 2025:
• NHC Board of Elections "In Lieu Of" Site - Northeast Library (1241 Military Cutoff Rd)
• Carolina Beach Town Hall – Police Training Room (1121 N. Lake Park Blvd)
• Cape Fear Community College - McLeod Building (411 N. Front St)
• NHC Senior Resource Center – Multipurpose Room (2222 S. College Rd)
Northeast Library Site:
October 16-17 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October 18-19 CLOSED
October 20-24 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October 25-26 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October 27- 31 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
November 1 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
All Additional Sites:
October 25-26 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October 27- 31 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
November 1 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have requested them beginning October 3, 2025. A
voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe.gov, or by filling out a request
form provided by the board of elections. The request must be received through the website or by
the New Hanover County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. October 21, 2025.
Registered voters who live within the boundaries of City of Wilmington and Towns of Carolina
Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach may vote in the municipal election. Municipal
contests include the mayor and members of the municipality’s governing board.
The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Friday, October 10, 2025. Eligible
individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site
during the early voting period. New registrants will be required to provide documentation of
their residence.
The Elections Board is required by statute to meet at 5:00 PM on the following dates: September
30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, and November 3. During these meetings, the Board will take action on
applications for absentee ballots if ballots have been received by that meeting date. Additionally,
the Board will meet at 2:00 PM on November 4, 7, and 13 for the purpose of counting absentee
ballots. The canvass will be held at the New Hanover County Board of Elections office at 11:00
AM on Friday, November 14, 2025.
Questions? Call the New Hanover County Board of Elections Office at 910-798-7330 or send an
email to newhanover.boe@nhcgov.com
_______________________, Chair
New Hanover County Board of Elections
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Temporary Transfer of Voters for Precincts H06, H08 and H11
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat §163-128(a)
Summary:
Currently, there are no registered voters who reside in the municipal boundaries in precinct H06 and
H08. There are 12 voters who reside in the municipal boundaries in precinct H11. Voters have until
October 10, 2025, to register to vote. In accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-128, county boards,
upon adoption of resolution, voters from a given precinct may be temporarily transferred, for the
purpose of voting, to an adjacent precinct.
Below is a summary of the proposed temporary transfer of voters for the 2025 Municipal Elections:
Transferring from: Number of Current
Voters Transferred:
Transferring to:
H06 – Freedom Baptist Church 0 H05 – Port City Community Church
H08 – Ogden Elementary School 0 H12 – Porters Neck Elementary School
H11 – Coastal Community Baptist Church 12 H10 – Eaton Elementary School
When such a resolution has been adopted by the county board of elections to assign voters from more
than one precinct to the same precinct, then the county board of elections shall maintain separate
registration and voting records to properly identify the precinct in which such voters reside. The voting
enclosure in each of the precincts identified for a temporary transfer have sufficient interior space in
the voting enclosure to permit our office to maintain separate registration and voting in the event
registered voters in precincts H06, H08, and H11 participate in the 2025 Municipal Elections.
Document/s Included:
NHC Municipal Map, Proposed Temporary Transfer of Voters for Precincts H06, H08 and H11 Map,
Request to Temporarily Transfer Voters to Adjacent Precinct 2025 Elections, Voter Statistics Report by
Municipality and Precinct, Resolutions to Transfer Voting for Precinct H06, H08, and H11 (Provided at
Board Meeting)
Board Action Required:
Staff recommends approval
Item # 3c
Revised 2025.05
REQUEST TO TEMPORARILY TRANSFER VOTERS TO ADJACENT PRECINCT
2025 ELECTIONS
G.S. § 163-128: Upon a resolution adopted by the county board of elections and approved by the Executive Director of
the State Board of Elections, voters from a given precinct may be temporarily transferred, for the purpose of voting, to an
adjacent precinct.
A SEPARATE FORM MUST BE COMPLETED FOR EACH MUNICIPALITY.
NAME OF COUNTY: New Hanover County
NAME OF DIRECTOR: Rae Hunter-Havens
Name of Municipality (if applicable) City of Wilmington
Election Date(s) for Transfer (select all that apply) ☐ 09/09/2025 ☐ 10/07/2025 ☒ 11/04/2025
Does the municipality permit absentee voting? ☒ Yes ☐ No
Do you code your ballots by precinct or by ballot style? ☐ Precinct ☒ Style
Will there be a countywide referendum on your ballot? ☐ Yes ☒ No
☐ REQUEST TO TRANSFER VOTERS WITHIN COUNTY (COMPLETE TABLE BELOW)
PCT 1 PCT 2 PCT 3 PCT 4
Transferring from:
Enter precinct name(s)
H06 H08 H11
Number of voters being
transferred
0 0 12
Transferring to:
Enter precinct name(s)
H05 H12 H10
Number of voters already in
receiving precinct
4,292 595 113
Is receiving precinct adjacent?
The precincts must be physically
touching.
☒ Yes ☐ No ☒ Yes ☐ No ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No
2021 voter turnout:
Of current voters being
transferred, how many voted in
the 2021 municipal election?
0 0 0
2023 voter turnout:
Of current voters being
transferred, how many voted in
the 2023 municipal election?
0 0 0
Revised 2025.05
REQUEST TO TEMPORARILY TRANSFER VOTERS TO ADJACENT PRECINCT
2025 ELECTIONS
In order to receive approval to transfer voters, you must fully complete this form:
Required by GS § 163-128:
“Upon a resolution adopted by the county board of elections ... voters from a given precinct may be temporarily
transferred, for the purpose of voting, to an adjacent precinct.”
☐ CBE Resolution was adopted on ________________________________
When such a resolution has been adopted by the county board of elections to assign voters from more than one
precinct to the same precinct, then the county board of elections shall maintain separate registration and voting
records ... so as to properly identify the precinct in which such voters reside.
I will provide separate: ☒ ATV labels ☐ SOSA laptop ☒ OVRD laptop ☒ Other_DS200/
ExpressVote______________________________
My ballots will be: ☒ Coded by style and true precinct will be recorded on ballots OR ☐ Coded by precinct
The board is required to give 45 days' notice of the transfer prior to the next primary or election
Check the following to confirm all methods of notice that you will use to comply with this requirement:
☒ Advertisement in a newspaper having general circulation in the county (required)
☒ Posting a copy of the resolution at the courthouse door and at the office of the county board of elections (required)
☒ Mailing a copy of the resolution to the chairman of every political party in the county (required)
☐ Notice will additionally be made on a radio and/or television station, but such notice will be in addition to the
newspaper and other required notice
☒ No later than 30 days prior to the primary or election, the county board of elections will mail a notice of precinct
change to each registered voter who as a result of the change will be assigned to a different voting place
Required by NCSBE
☒ I have provided the SBOE with a copy of any applicable board resolution/agreement.
☒ I have entered the contest AND all candidates in Election Setup and will update the information on the master polling
list in Voter View.
☒ Absentee voting is allowed by municipality
SUBMITTED &
SIGNED BY
County Director Date
APPROVED BY
Sam Hayes
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Date
NEW HANOVER COUNTY STATISTICS REPORT
Bert Database Current As Of 8/12/2025 10:07:55 PM [SUCCESSFUL]
JURISDICTION: MUNICIPALITY = 65_B, 65_C, 65_K, 65_W and STATUS = A, I
102,833 Total Voters =
Not
Hispanic UndesHispanicUndesOtherMulti-
RaceAsianWhiteBlackLibUnaRepDemTotal VotersGrouping Pacific
IslanderGreNlbCstJfaWtpAmerican
Indian
2,158 2,539 33 1,253 50 5,161 4 108 627 23 10 76 3,380 2,529 5,985MUNICIPALITY : CAROLINA BEACH 2 2 0 0 0 0
2,158 2,539 33 1,253 50 5,161 4 108 627 23 10 76 3,380 2,529 5,985PRECINCT : FP08 2 2 0 0 0 0
729 841 6 406 11 1,734 0 18 207 9 4 17 1,154 812 1,983MUNICIPALITY : KURE BEACH 0 1 0 0 0 0
729 841 6 406 11 1,734 0 18 207 9 4 17 1,154 812 1,983PRECINCT : FP03 0 1 0 0 0 0
23,433 40,217 679 28,335 11,827 66,039 203 2,595 10,824 790 464 2,436 53,483 36,830 92,749MUNICIPALITY : WILMINGTON 7 85 0 0 0 0
1,977 1,947 22 807 47 4,260 2 87 315 36 8 76 3,381 1,298 4,755PRECINCT : H02 0 2 0 0 0 0
1,426 1,885 28 1,087 161 3,641 3 81 501 27 12 72 2,893 1,461 4,426PRECINCT : H04 0 0 0 0 0 0
1,564 1,751 24 953 90 3,714 10 82 371 19 6 76 2,978 1,238 4,292PRECINCT : H05 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 61 0 22 12 76 0 4 17 4 0 3 66 44 113PRECINCT : H10 0 1 0 0 0 0
2 6 0 4 0 9 0 3 0 0 0 3 6 3 12PRECINCT : H11 0 0 0 0 0 0
178 277 10 129 44 450 1 34 57 6 3 37 325 233 595PRECINCT : H12 0 1 0 0 0 0
1,998 2,668 39 1,441 178 5,263 9 131 461 87 20 93 4,030 2,026 6,149PRECINCT : M02 0 3 0 0 0 0
957 1,228 17 753 70 2,501 3 74 279 26 3 61 1,296 1,599 2,956PRECINCT : M03 0 1 0 0 0 0
1,283 1,772 24 1,094 242 3,332 17 125 387 60 12 97 2,549 1,529 4,175PRECINCT : M04 0 2 0 0 0 0
231 1,017 22 1,114 694 1,265 5 53 333 17 20 45 1,219 1,123 2,387PRECINCT : W03 0 3 0 0 0 0
409 676 18 737 628 897 3 49 243 7 13 41 1,013 788 1,842PRECINCT : W08 2 2 0 0 0 0
465 806 17 688 130 1,596 2 42 182 18 7 37 1,270 670 1,977PRECINCT : W12 0 1 0 0 0 0
774 2,525 44 2,603 2,373 2,285 19 265 906 53 55 282 2,991 2,684 5,957PRECINCT : W15 1 11 0 0 0 0
1,066 1,434 21 887 153 2,780 9 97 308 46 18 52 2,150 1,209 3,411PRECINCT : W16 0 3 0 0 0 0
733 952 12 665 205 1,849 2 52 205 41 8 43 1,539 781 2,363PRECINCT : W17 1 1 0 0 0 0
1,409 2,326 52 1,428 354 4,074 9 174 550 41 19 161 2,682 2,378 5,221PRECINCT : W21 0 6 0 0 0 0
613 2,067 39 2,112 1,138 2,899 8 134 597 34 26 100 2,522 2,214 4,836PRECINCT : W25 0 5 0 0 0 0
521 1,242 25 1,010 507 1,830 11 112 306 17 18 112 1,530 1,159 2,801PRECINCT : W26 0 3 0 0 0 0
390 1,327 23 1,435 627 2,126 8 61 323 16 14 64 1,942 1,169 3,175PRECINCT : W27 0 0 0 0 0 0
238 1,372 29 1,917 1,882 1,049 11 76 494 9 38 73 1,839 1,647 3,559PRECINCT : W29 0 3 0 0 0 0
Page 1 of 2Aug 13, 2025 4:22:05PM BertStat.rpt
Not
Hispanic UndesHispanicUndesOtherMulti-
RaceAsianWhiteBlackLibUnaRepDemTotal VotersGrouping Pacific
IslanderGreNlbCstJfaWtpAmerican
Indian
1,471 2,496 46 1,763 693 4,110 21 239 652 49 25 221 2,966 2,602 5,789PRECINCT : W30 0 13 0 0 0 0
1,344 1,835 31 1,214 227 3,725 3 87 340 33 11 70 2,805 1,552 4,427PRECINCT : W31 1 3 0 0 0 0
2,083 2,457 33 1,159 121 4,887 12 153 502 37 22 159 3,820 1,755 5,734PRECINCT : W33 0 2 0 0 0 0
1,186 3,687 65 1,763 780 3,861 22 216 1,705 62 66 313 2,918 3,483 6,714PRECINCT : W34 2 13 0 0 0 0
1,086 2,403 38 1,550 471 3,560 13 164 790 45 40 145 2,753 2,185 5,083PRECINCT : W35 0 6 0 0 0 0
757 954 12 393 6 1,859 3 11 221 10 5 16 1,439 661 2,116MUNICIPALITY : WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH 1 0 0 0 0 0
757 954 12 393 6 1,859 3 11 221 10 5 16 1,439 661 2,116PRECINCT : WB 1 0 0 0 0 0
102,833 30,387 27,077 44,551 730 11,894 74,793 210 832 483 2,732 11,879 2,545 59,456 40,832 Total 10 88 0 0 0 0
Page 2 of 2Aug 13, 2025 4:22:05PM BertStat.rpt
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Polling Place Change for Precinct W25
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat § 163-128(a)
Summary:
The current polling place for precinct W25, Cape Fear Community College Health Sciences Building, is
unavailable to use for the upcoming elections due to an active construction project on the first floor.
Cape Fear Community College has agreed to permit the use of Cape Fear Community College McLeod
Building as a polling place for precinct W25, pending board approval. The proposed polling place meets
all administrative and legal requirements for voting and has ample parking and voting enclosure space
to meet the needs of voters in this precinct.
Document/s Included:
Images of the proposed polling place for precinct W25; Resolution to Adopt Polling Place Change (W25)
Board Action Required:
Staff recommends approval
Item # 2 Item # 3d
PROPOSED POLLING PLACE CHANGE FOR PRECINCT W25
Precinct: W25
Name: CFCC McLeod Building
Address: 411 North Front Street
Voting Enclosure: Class Room
Parking Interior Entrance
Enclosure from Interior Entrance and Auditorium Seats
Voter Exit Parking Entrance Additional Parking Electioneering/Curbside
RESOLUTION TO ADOPT POLLING PLACE
CHANGE IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY
At a meeting duly called and held on the 19th day of August 2025, at 226 Government Center
Drive in Wilmington, North Carolina, the New Hanover County Board of Elections unanimously
adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS the county board of elections shall have power from time to time, by
resolution, to establish, alter, discontinue, or create such new election precincts or voting places
as it may deem expedient, under G.S. 163-128(a);
WHEREAS W25 Precinct Polling Place was located at CFCC Health Sciences Building,
at 415 North 2nd Street, Wilmington, NC 28401;
WHEREAS CFCC McLeod Building has agreed to provide a more suitable location for
W25 Precinct Polling Place to CFCC McLeod Building, located at 411 North Front Street,
Wilmington, NC 28401;
WHEREAS a Polling Place Accessibility Survey has been completed for the new site
and was found to be ADA compliant; and
WHEREAS the Board of Elections shall notify all voters of the polling place change.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the New Hanover County
Board of Elections approved the relocation of W25 Precinct Polling Place to CFCC McLeod
Building, at 411 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC 28401.
Jamie Getty, Chair
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
2025-2027 Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) Appointments
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat §§ 163-226.3(a)(4) and 8 NCAC 16.0101
Summary:
Every two years, the Board of Elections is required to establish Multipartisan Assistance Teams (MATs)
to assist patients and residents with requesting or casting absentee ballots, if they are in a “covered
facility” (i.e., hospital, clinic, nursing home, or rest home that provides residential healthcare in the State
that is licensed pursuant to Chapter 122C, Chapter 131D, or Chapter 131E of the General Statutes; or by
the federal government or an Indian tribe). Each team shall consist of one Republican and one Democrat
unless the Board unanimously decides to appoint Unaffiliated members to replace one or both major
political party members in the event a Democratic or Republican MAT appointee is not available to
participate in a schedule visit.
Document/s Included:
MAT Rules and 2025-2027 MAT Nominees (Provided at Meeting)
Board Action Required:
Discuss as necessary and approval
Item # 3e
CHAPTER 16 - MULTIPARTISAN ASSISTANCE TEAMS
08 NCAC 16 .0101 MULTIPARTISAN ASSISTANCE TEAMS
(a) Each county board of elections shall assemble and provide training to a Multipartisan Assistance Team
("Team") to respond to requests for voter assistance for any primary, general election, referendum, or special
election.
(b) For every primary or election listed in Paragraph (a) of this Rule, the Team shall be made available in each
county to assist patients and residents in every covered facility in that county in requesting or casting absentee
ballots as provided by Article 21 of Subchapter III of Chapter 163A of the General Statutes. For the purposes of this
Chapter, a "covered facility" is any facility that provides residential or in-patient healthcare in the State that is
licensed or operated pursuant to Chapter 122C, Chapter 131D, or Chapter 131E of the General Statutes, including,
for example, a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or adult care home; or by the federal government or an Indian tribe.
(c) The Team may assist voters in requesting mail-in absentee ballots, serve as witnesses to mail-in absentee voting,
and otherwise assist in the process of mail-in absentee voting as provided by Article 21 of Subchapter III of Chapter
163A of the General Statutes. Upon the voter's request, the Team shall assist voters who have affirmatively
communicated, either verbally or nonverbally, a request for assistance.
History Note: Authority G.S. 163A-1298(a)(4); S.L. 2013-381, s. 4.6(b);
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2014;
Eff. October 1, 2014;
Amended Eff. December 1, 2018.
08 NCAC 16 .0102 TEAM MEMBERS
(a) For purposes of this Chapter, the county board of elections shall compose the Team as follows:
(1)At least two registered voters shall be on each Team. The two political parties having the highest
number of affiliated voters in the State, as reflected by the registration statistics published by the
State Board on January 1 of the current year, shall each be represented by at least one Team
member of the party's affiliation. If the Team consists of more than two members, voters who are
unaffiliated or affiliated with other political parties recognized by the State of North Carolina may
be Team members.
(2)If a county board of elections finds an insuf ficient number of voters available to comply with
Subparagraph (a)(1) of this Rule, the county board, upon a unanimous vote of all of its sworn
members, may appoint an unaffiliated Team member to serve instead of the Team member
representing one of the two political parties as set out in Subparagraph (a)(1) of this Rule.
(b) Team members shall not be paid or provided travel reimbursement by any political party or candidate for work
as Team members.
History Note: Authority G.S. 163A-1298(a)(4); S.L. 2013-381, s. 4.6(b);
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2014;
Eff. October 1, 2014;
Amended Eff. December 1, 2018.
08 NCAC 16 .0103 TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF TEAM MEMBERS
(a)The State Board of Elections shall provide uniform training materials to each County Board of Elections. The
training shall review the Rules of this Chapter as well as G.S. 163 -226.3, 163-230.1, 163-230.2, and 163-231,
including the statutory deadlines associated with absentee voting, and provide information to help Team members
interact with persons who have disabilities. Every Team member shall confirm in writing that he or she has
reviewed and understands the content of the training. Each County Board of Elections shall administer training for
every Team member as directed by the State Board of Elections in this Rule.
(b)Every Team member shall sign a declaration provided by the County Board of Elections that includes the
following statements:
(1)the Team member will provide voter assistance in a nonpartisan manner, will not attempt to
influence any decision of a voter being provided any type of assistance, and will not wear any
clothing or pins with political messages while assisting voters;
(2) the Team member will adhere to the rules of this Chapter and the General Statutes listed in
Paragraph (a) of this Rule, and the Team member will refer to County Board of Elections staff in
the event the Team member is unable to answer any question;
(3) the Team member will not use, reproduce, or communicate to anyone other than County Board of
Elections staff any information or document handled by the Team member, including the voting
choices of a voter, a voter's date of birth, or a voter's signature;
(4) the Team member will not accept payment or travel reimbursement by any political party or
candidate for work as a Team member;
(5) the Team member does not hold any elective office under the United States, this State, or any
political subdivision of this State;
(6) the Team member is not a candidate for nomination or election, as defined in G.S. 163 -278.6(4),
for any office listed in Subparagraph (b)(5) of this Rule;
(7) the Team member does not hold any office in a State, congressional district, or county political
party or organization, and is not a manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party. For the
purposes of this Subparagraph, a delegate to a convention s hall not be considered a party office;
(8) the Team member is not an owner, manager, director, or employee of a covered facility where a
resident requests assistance;
(9) the Team member is not a registered sex offender in North Carolina or any other state ; and
(10) the Team member understands that submitting fraudulent or falsely completed declarations and
documents associated with absentee voting is a Class I felony under Chapter 163 of the General
Statutes, and that submitting or assisting in preparing a fraudulent or falsely completed document
associated with absentee voting may constitute other criminal violations.
(c) Upon completion of training and the declaration, the County Board of Elections shall certify the Team member.
Only certified Team members may provide assistance to voters. The certification shall be good for two years, or
until the State Board of Elections requires additional training, whichever occurs first.
History Note: Authority G.S. 163-226.3(a)(4); S.L. 2013-381, s. 4.6(b);
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2014;
Eff. October 1, 2014.
08 NCAC 16 .0104 VISITS BY MULTIPARTISAN ASSISTANCE TEAMS
(a) The State Board shall provide annual notice regarding availability of Teams in each county. The notice shall
provide information for covered facilities, or patients or residents of the facilities, to contact the county board of
elections to arrange a Team visit.
(b) If a facility, or a patient or resident of a facility, requests a visit by the Team, the county board of elections shall
notify the Team and schedule the visit(s) within seven calendar days if it is able to do so. If the county board of
elections is unable to schedule the visit within seven calendar days, the voter may obtain such assistance from any
person other than:
(1) an owner, manager, director, employee of the hospital, clinic, nursing home, or rest home in which
the voter is a patient or resident;
(2) an individual who holds any elective office under the United States, this State, or any political
subdivision of this State;
(3) an individual who is a candidate for nomination or election to such office; or
(4) an individual who holds any office in a State, congressional district, county, or precinct political
party or organization, or who is a campaign manager or treasurer for any candidate or political
party; provided that a delegate to a convention shall not be considered a party office.
None of the persons listed in Subparagraphs (1) through (4) of this Paragraph may sign the application or certificate
as a witness for the patient.
(c) On a facility visit, the composition of the visiting Team members shall comply with the requirements of Rule
.0102(a)(1) or (a)(2) of this Section.
(d) All Team members shall remain within the presence of each other while visiting or assisting patients or
residents.
(e) At each facility visit, the Team shall provide the following assistance to patients or residents who request it:
(1) Assistance in requesting a mail-in absentee ballot: The Team shall collect any request forms
submitted by voters and deliver those request forms to the county board of elections office upon
leaving the facility. Upon the voter's request, the Team may also:
(A) Assist the voter in completing the request form, provided that the voter signs or , if unable
to sign, makes his or her mark or directs that his or her mark to be placed on the form;
and
(B) Coordinate a return visit to assist the voter in completing the absentee ballot.
(2) Assistance in casting a mail-in absentee ballot: Before providing assistance in voting by mail-in
absentee ballot, a Team member shall be in the presence of another Team member whose
registration is not affiliated with the same political party. Team members shall sign the return
envelope as witnesses to the marking of the mail-in absentee ballot. If the Team members provide
assistance in marking the mail-in absentee ballot, the Team members shall also sign the voter's
return envelope to indicate that they provided assistance in marking the ballot.
(f) The Team shall make and keep a record containing the names of all voters who received assistance or cast an
absentee ballot during a visit as directed by the county board of elections, and submit that record to the county board
of elections.
(g) The Team shall assist patients or residents physically located in the Team's county, regardless of the voter's
county of registration. If a patient or resident is registered to vote in another county, the county board of elections in
the county where the voter is registered shall communicate any request for assistance to the county board of
elections in the county where the voter is physically located.
History Note: Authority G.S. 163A-1298(a)(4); S.L. 2013-381, s. 4.6(b);
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2014;
Eff. October 1, 2014;
Amended Eff. December 1, 2018.
08 NCAC 16 .0105 REMOVAL OF TEAM MEMBERS
(a) The County Board of Elections shall revoke, pursuant to G.S. 163-33(2), a Team member's certification granted
under Rule .0103 of this Section for the following reasons:
(1) violation of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes or one of the Rules contained in this Section;
(2) political partisan activity in performing Team duties;
(3) failure to respond to directives from the County Board of Elections; or
(4) failure to maintain certification pursuant to Rule .0103 of this Section.
(b) If the County Board of Elections revokes a Team member's certification, the person shall not participate on the
Team.
History Note: Authority G.S. 163-33(2), 163-226.3(a)(4); S.L. 2013-381, s. 4.6(b);
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2014;
Eff. October 1, 2014.
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
2025-2027 Chief Judge and Judge Appointments
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat §§ 163-31 and 163-41(a)
Summary:
County boards of elections are required to appoint one chief judge and two judges to each precinct in
the county. Per statute, the most important qualification of a chief judge or judge is that they are
residents of the precinct in which they are appointed to serve. Wherever possible, all judges should not
be members of the same political party. There is not a statutory requirement that a certain number of
judges must be Democrats or Republicans. Unaffiliated voters can be appointed as a chief judge or
judge. The appointment of Unaffiliated and Democratic judge or Unaffiliated and Republican judges
meets the bipartisan criteria since Unaffiliated judges are not of the same political party as either
Democrat or Republican judges. Per the NC State Board of Elections, examining the voting history of
prospective judges is not required, nor is it appropriate.
From an administrative perspective, it is imperative that the county board appoint as many qualified
resident chief judges and judges as statutorily permitted to ensure that our office has sufficient time to
1) onboard, assign, and train election officials to perform all required administrative and technical tasks
on Election Day and 2) to fill any last-minute vacancies of appointed chief judges or judges with transfer
chief judges or judges to ensure effective management of the election-related processes. It is critical
that, whenever possible, the use of transfer judges be limited to ensure that we have sufficient capacity
to fill last-minute vacancies in those appointed to serve in each precinct. Through the timely
establishment of these appointments, teams can be built in a timely manner using other election
officials to ensure that all skillsets and knowledge-bases are present at each polling place.
Below is the order of operations county board of elections should use for appointing chief judges and
judges, including those recommended by party chairs and county board of elections staff:
1. For each chief judge position, each party chair recommends two total names for each precinct
who must be registered voters of that precinct.
2. For the two judge positions, each party chair recommends two total names for each precinct
who must be registered voters of that precinct.
3. If the party chairs submitted this list of names to the county board of elections by the deadline,
the county board MUST appoint chief judges and judges from that list, even if the party list only
contains one name for each position.
4. If the lists from the party were received by the deadline but contain names that are NOT
residents of the precinct, those lists are insufficient. The county board MUST appoint the names
of those who ARE residents of the precincts (there is no discretion here per the statute).
Item # 3f
5. The county board of elections must then, by unanimous vote, appoint as chief judge or judge
the names of voters in the following order:
a. Those who were NOT recommended by the party but who ARE residents of the precinct
(and must “diligently” seek residents of the precinct).
b. Those who were recommended by the party but ARE NOT residents of the precinct (this
includes names that the party did not submit by the deadline but may have
recommended after that time – the statute says the county board “where possible”
must seek and adopt the recommendation of the county chair of the party affected). By
unanimous vote, the county board of elections may approve recommendations by staff
to appoint a nonresident as a chief judge or judge so long as these recommendations
meet all other statutory requirements.
*The term of office is two years from the specific date of appointment and until successors are
appointed and qualified. The only exceptions to the term of appointment are cases where a nonresident
of the precinct is appointed as a chief judge or judge. In those cases, the nonresident judge’s term of
office shall end if the chair of the county board of elections appoints a qualified resident of the precinct
of the same party to replace the nonresident chief judge or judge.
There is no statutory prohibition on an unaffiliated voter serving as a chief judge or judge. In fact, the
statute doesn’t even mention Democrat or Republican, but rather states, “Not more than one judge in a
precinct shall belong to the same political party as the chief judge” in subsection (a) of G.S. 163-41(a)
and, “In making its appointments, the county board shall assure, wherever possible, that no precinct has
a chief judge and judges all of whom are registered with the same party” in subsection (c) of that same
statute.
Per the NC State Board of Elections, after the county board completes the appointment of all chief
judges and judges for the 2025-2027 election cycle, any remaining vacancies can be filled by the chair of
the county board of elections. If the chair does not appoint a person recommended by the party chair,
the appointee's term will end after the next canvass. The successor must be nominated by the party
chair of the vacating office.
If the current board does not unanimously appoint as required by N.C. Gen. Stat § 163-41, the precinct
chief judges and judges appointed in 2023 hold over until a new judge is properly appointed by the
board for that position. According to G.S. 163-41(a), their terms continue for two years or until
successors are appointed and qualified. If a nonresident is appointed, their term ends when a qualified
resident of the same party is appointed. The chair can approve appointments without unanimous board
approval when there is a vacancy due to removal, death, or resignation.
Document/s Included:
2025-2027 Chief Judge and Judge Nominations (Provided at Meeting)
Board Action Required:
Discuss as necessary and approval
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Appointment of Early Voting Officials
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-166.35 (b), NCSBOE Numbered Memo 2023-07
Summary:
In accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-166.35 (b), county boards of elections must appoint officials for
each early voting site, excluding the county board office. An email was sent to party chairs on Tuesday,
July 29, 2025, notifying them of the appointment date and the deadline for submitting
recommendations of qualified officials by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
The county board is not obligated to accept all recommendations from party chairs and should select
from the list of recommended nominees, provided they are qualified and the list was submitted on time.
If recommendations are not submitted on time or are insufficient, the board may appoint registered
voters in the county who were not recommended by the party chairs. Unlike the appointment of
Election Day officials, the county board’s vote to appoint early voting officials who are not
recommended by the parties does not need to be unanimous.
The county board may appoint specific individuals to specific sites/shifts or appoint a slate of individuals
to serve as chief judge, judge, or assistants at all voting sites. By appointing a slate of individuals, the
board can delegate the scheduling of officials to staff.
Under the adopted early voting plan, the NE library is being used as an “in lieu of” site for the office. Per
Numbered Memo 2023-07, the chief judges and judges must be appointed at an “in lieu of” site so both
parties and our office can submit recommendations for the board to consider for all sites.
For the appointment of replacement chief judges and judges, the board chair may delegate in writing
the appointment of replacement chief judges and judges to the county board staff. The delegation
should designate the staff member(s) with authority to make the appointments and be limited to certain
time periods, such as the early voting period. For the replacement of assistants due to vacancies, the
county board may delegate the replacement of assistants to county board staff.
Document/s Included:
NCSBOE Numbered Memo 2023-07, Notice of Appointment of Early Voting Officials Letter and Email
Template, 2025 Municipal Election Early Voting Official Nominations (Provided at Board Meeting)
Board Action Required:
Board Action Required
Item # 3g
P.O. Box 27255
Raleigh, NC 27611
(866) 522-4723
www.ncsbe.gov
Numbered Memo 2023-07
TO: County Boards of Elections
FROM: Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director1
RE: Early Voting Official Appointment
DATE: December 19, 2023
This numbered memo provides guidance about the appointment of early voting officials in
accordance with the changes made by Session Law 2023-140 (SB 747). This law is effective
January 1, 2024.
1. Appointment of Early Voting Officials
Appointment by the County Board of Elections
For each primary and election, county boards of elections shall appoint precinct officials for each
early voting site, other than the county board office.
Early voting officials shall be appointed as follows:2
• Chief Judge and Judges. A chief judge must always be appointed to each early voting
site for each day of early voting. Two judges shall be appointed to each early voting site
for each day of early voting, where possible. County boards should try to ensure all early
voting sites have a chief judge and two judges at all times, in the event a voter challenge
needs to be heard. If it is not possible, however, county boards should appoint at least one
judge per site.
o Partisan balance: County boards shall work to ensure, if at all possible, that the
chief judge and judges working at any site at the same time do not all belong to
the same political party.
• Assistants. The county board shall appoint any assistants needed for each early voting
site.
1 This memo is issued under the authority delegated by the State Board to the executive director pursuant
to G.S. § 163-22(p).
2 G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)).
2
o Partisan balance: County boards shall work to ensure, if at all possible, that an
equal number of assistants are appointed from different political parties.
Multiple chief judges, judges, and assistants may be appointed to serve at each early voting site
so that chief judges, judges, and assistants may serve for partial shifts throughout each day of
early voting or serve for less than the full number of days of early voting.
In making its appointments for chief judge and judges, the county board may designate the
names of the specific individuals and the sites and shifts that they will serve. Alternatively, the
county board may appoint a slate of individuals to serve in given roles at all voting sites, and
may leave the scheduling determinations up to the county board staff, provided that the partisan
allocation requirements are met, where possible.3 County boards must ensure that there are
sufficient officials appointed to each early voting site to properly staff the site and conduct any
challenges that are filed.
Recommendations by the County Party Chair
The chair of each political party in the county shall recommend individuals who are qualified to
serve as precinct officials at early voting sites. If the party’s recommendations are received by
the county board of elections no later than the fifth business day before the date on which
appointments are to be made, the county board of elections shall make appointments from the list
of recommendations provided the recommended individuals are eligible to serve as precinct
officials.4
The chair of the political party may suggest which individuals they think should fill the roles of
chief judge and judges, and to suggest particular sites, dates, or times for particular nominees.
However, the county board is not required to accept these recommendations. The board is merely
obligated to select from the list of recommended names of nominees, provided the nominees are
qualified and the list was timely provided.5 County boards should consider the needs of the
voting sites, the partisan balance requirements, and the capability and availability of the
3 G.S. § 163-166.35(a1)(1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)) states: “A chief judge and judges shall be
appointed to each early voting site for each day for early voting….”
4 G.S. § 163-166.35(a1)(1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)) states: “The chair of each political party in the
county shall recommend individuals who are otherwise qualified to serve as precinct officials at early
voting sites.” Qualifications are discussed in Section 3 of this memo.
5 The law authorizes the county party chair to “recommend individuals . . . to serve as precinct officials at
early voting sites,” and then requires the county board to “make appointments from the list of
recommendations.” G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c).
3
nominees when assigning recommended individuals into roles, sites, and schedules at early
voting sites.
Before each primary or election, each county board of elections shall set a date when the county
board will hold a duly noticed public meeting to appoint early voting officials to sites other than
the county board office. A county board may set separate dates for the appointment of chief
judges and judges versus assistants. At least 21 days prior to the date set for that meeting, the
county board shall send an email or letter via U.S. mail to the chair of each political party
organized in the county, notifying the chair of (1) the county board’s appointment date and (2)
the party’s deadline to provide recommendations for qualified early voting officials, which shall
be the fifth business day before the appointment date. This notice may be sent by the county
director of elections.6
If the party’s recommendations are not received by the county board of elections by the fifth
business day before the date on which appointments are to be made, or if the party does not
submit sufficient recommendations to staff each shift for each early voting site, the county board
of elections may appoint registered voters in that county who were not recommended by the
party chairs. Unlike for appointing election day officials who are not recommended by the
parties under G.S. § 163-41(c) and -42(b), the county board’s vote to appoint early voting
officials who are not recommended by the parties under G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) does not need to
be unanimous. In making its appointments, the county board shall ensure, wherever possible, that
no precinct has a chief judge and judges all of whom are registered with the same party.7
Although the county board must prioritize ensuring each site is adequately staffed for each day
of early voting, the county board shall also ensure, wherever possible, that each qualified
individual who is timely recommended by a party is appointed to serve in some capacity during
early voting.
6 N.C. State Bd. of Elections, Resolution on Appointment of Early Voting Officials (Nov. 28, 2023).
7 See G.S. § 163-166.35(a1)(1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c), which requires chief judges and judges to be
appointed “in the same manner as allocated to each precinct in the county as provided in G.S. 163-41
where possible.” (Emphasis added.) Subsection (a1)(2) has a similar allocation requirement for assistants,
referring to G.S. § 163-42. The “manner” of “allocation” of precinct officials refers to the legal criteria for
assigning officials to each site. Under G.S. §§ 163-41 and -42, the legal criteria for assigning officials at
particular sites are in-precinct residence and party affiliation. Because in-precinct residence is irrelevant
for assignment to an early voting site, which offers the opportunity to vote to all county residents, the
only assignment criteria that applies here is party affiliation.
4
3. Qualifications of Officials
Individuals appointed to serve as early voting officials must be registered voters and residents of
the county in which the early voting site is located. Chief judges and judges must be “of good
repute” and “have good moral character,” and be able to read and write.8
An individual is not eligible to serve as a precinct official if they:
• Hold any elective office under the government of the United States, or of the State of
North Carolina or any political subdivision thereof;
• Are a candidate for nomination or election;
• Hold any office in a state, congressional district, county, or precinct political party or
political organization, or who is a manager or treasurer for any candidate or political
party, provided however that the position of delegate to a political party convention shall
not be considered an office for the purpose of this subsection;9 or
• Are the wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister of any candidate for
nomination or election if the candidate is on the ballot at the early voting site in which the
precinct official would serve.10
The following categories of relatives are prohibited from serving at the same voting site at the
same time: spouse, child, spouse of a child, sister or brother.11 These individuals may serve at
different voting sites at the same time or at the same voting site at different times.
Because all county boards use the SEIMS early voting application (SOSA), most early voting
officials need to be capable of operating a computer. County boards should work to inform the
appointing political parties of this need in advance of submission of the lists to help ensure that
workers have the technical skills and other capabilities necessary to conduct early voting.
4. Vacancies
A vacancy may occur if an early voting official dies, is removed, or resigns after appointment. A
vacancy may also occur if a precinct official is not appointed by the county board, such as where
the party does not make sufficient (or any) recommendations and the county board is unable to
appoint someone at the meeting designated for such appointments. The process is the same
8 G.S. § 163-41(a), (c).
9 G.S. § 163-41.
10 G.S. § 163-41.1(b).
11 G.S. § 163-41.1(a).
5
whether the vacancy occurs in advance of the early voting period or on the day the person is
assigned to serve.
Vacancy in the Position of Chief Judge or Judge
If a vacancy occurs in the position of chief judge or judge, the chair of the county board of
elections shall appoint a replacement.12 If a county political party chair nominated the vacating
official, the board chair shall consult with that party chair, if possible.13 If the party chair
nominates a qualified replacement, the board chair shall appoint that person. In filling such a
vacancy, the board chair shall appoint a person who belongs to the same political party as that to
which the vacating member belonged when appointed, where possible.14 If a party chair did not
nominate the vacating official, or if there is not time to consult with the party chair, which could
occur for example when an official calls out on the day they are scheduled to serve, the board
chair is not required to consult with the party chair. The chair may delegate the appointment of
replacement chief judges and judges to the county board staff. The delegation should be in
writing and should designate the staff member or members with authority to make the
appointments. The delegation could also be limited to certain time periods, such as during the
early voting period.
County boards may wish to appoint alternate chief judge and judges who can step in in the even
a chief judge or judge calls out with little notice. This will help ensure that early voting sites are
fully staffed at all times.
Vacancy in the Position of Assistant
If a vacancy occurs in the position of assistant, the county board may appoint someone to fill the
role or may delegate this responsibility to county board staff.
12 G.S. § 163-41(d). Because the early voting official appointment law, G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) (S.L. 2023-
140, sec. 27(c)), does not address the process for filling vacancies, the State Board interprets the
background law for filling vacancies for chief judges and judges to apply—G.S. § 163-41(d).
13 For example, if there is too little time to consult the party chair before an official must be assigned to a
shift at a voting site, that would not make it possible to consult the party chair.
14 As explained in note 7 above, the early voting official appointment law requires allocation of officials
for partisan balance, but it guarantees flexibility with the “where possible” language. G.S. § 163-
166.35(a1)(1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)).
6
5. County Board Office
For early voting conducted at the county board of elections office, early voting officials are not
appointed. Those working at the county board office are considered county employees.15 Such
workers are typically assigned to early voting shifts administratively by staff. The board would
nonetheless need to designate two workers at the county board office to serve as “judges” and
one to serve as a “chief judge” at all times during early voting, for the purposes of deciding any
voter challenges or photo ID challenges at that site.16 All such designees may not be affiliated
with the same political party.
If the county board has designated an “in lieu of” site to be used for early voting instead of the
county board office, individuals serving at that site must be appointed.17 If a county board
conducts early voting at the same physical address as its office, that site is considered the
“county board office,” and officials would not be appointed for that site.
6. Student Election Assistance
County boards may appoint student election assistants to early voting sites according to the
requirements in 163-42.1.18
7. Training
County boards of elections must provide training to all of their early voting officials.19 This
training should include instruction about the use of pollbook computers, voting equipment, and
all other aspects of early voting. County boards must also ensure that early voting officials are
trained on the differences between early voting and Election Day voting, including that early
voting ballots are retrievable, the polls are not closed on tabulators during early voting, and the
requirements for same-day registration. See Numbered Memo 2023-05 for information about
same-day registration.
15 G.S. § 163-166.35(a) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)).
16 See G.S. § 163-88 (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 13(b)); G.S. § 163-166.16(b); 08 NCAC 17 .0101(d)(3).
17 See G.S. § 163-166.35(a) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)).
18 G.S. § 163-166.35(a1)((3) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)).
19 See G.S. 163-82.24(a) (“The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules for the training of precinct
officials, which shall be followed by the county boards of elections.”); 08 NCAC 10B .0101 (requiring
chief judges and judges to attend an instructional meeting prior to each primary or election); and 08
NCAC 04 .0305 (requiring the chair of the county board to conduct an instruction meeting before each
primary or election to instruct precinct officials in the use of the voting system).
7
8. Oath of Office
Chief judges and judges shall take the oath as soon as practicable following their training. They
shall also sign the written copy of the oath and file it with the county board of elections. The oath
may be administered by the chair of the county board, a notary public, or other officer authorized
to administer oaths.
Each chief judge and judge shall take the following oath:
“I, ____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the
United States; that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the State of North
Carolina, and to the constitutional powers and authorities which are or may be
established for the government thereof; that I will endeavor to support, maintain
and defend the Constitution of said State not inconsistent with the Constitution of
the United States; that I will administer the duties of my office as chief judge of
(judge of election in)____ [early voting site name], ____ County, without fear or
favor; that I will not in any manner request or seek to persuade or induce any voter
to vote for or against any particular candidate or proposition; and that I will not
keep or make any memorandum of anything occurring within a voting booth, unless
I am called upon to testify in a judicial proceeding for a violation of the election
laws of this State; so help me, God.”
Each assistant must take the same oath, substituting for the words “chief judge of” for “assistant
in.” It is recommended that assistants take the oath of office at the conclusion of their training to
ensure that they are properly sworn before beginning their duties as early voting officials. This is
not a requirement, but county boards should have a plan in place to ensure all officials take the
oath prior to beginning their first shift.
9. Employment Considerations
It is permissible to onboard and handle administrative matters for early voting officials through a
temp or staffing agency. However, the county board must supervise the day-to-day activities of
these officials, must instruct them on what they must do in their positions, and must have
ultimate hiring and firing authority over all election officials. Using a temp agency is an
administrative convenience. Regardless of whether a temp agency is used to administer poll
worker employment, the records of those workers are covered by the confidentiality provisions
of G.S. § 153A-98, which include exceptions for certain information.
8
Early voting officials may only be appointed and removed by the county board of elections.
Removal may occur only for cause and after notice and a hearing.20 County boards should use
the process in 08 NCAC 03 Section .0200 for complaints against precinct officials, including
early voting officials, if an early voting official needs to be removed. This does not apply to
workers staffing early voting at a county board office.
In the event of an urgent need to put an early voting official on leave, such as for egregious
misconduct or misbehavior, the county board should immediately notice and call an emergency
meeting. The county board could hold the notice and hearing to remove the official at that time,
or they could temporarily suspend the official in anticipation of a hearing schedule in the future.
If an official is actively violating a criminal law or compromising the integrity of the election,
they should be asked to leave, and law enforcement should be called if the official refuses to do
so.21
The elections statutes do not set a separate minimum salary for early voting officials.22
Therefore, these officials should be paid at least the state minimum wage, which is $7.25 per
hour,23 for time worked and in training.
10. Public Records Requests for Information about Early Voting
Officials
The confidentiality of county personnel records forbids the release of personnel records for
county employees unless the information requested is listed in the statute as a type of
information that may be disclosed.24 This law covers county board employees, precinct officials
(including early voting officials), and nominees for these positions.25
20 G.S. § 163-33(2). See also G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c), which describes early
voting officials as “precinct officials.”
21 G.S. 163-48.
22 Compare with G.S. § 163-46, which sets the minimum wage for elections officials “on the day of a
primary, special or general election.”
23 See G.S. § 95-25.3(a), which incorporates the federal minimum wage if higher than the state rate,
which it currently is. See 29 U.S.C. § 206(a).
24 G.S. § 153A-98.
25 See Durham Herald Co. v. Cty. of Durham, 334 N.C. 677, 679, 435 S.E.2d 317, 319 (1993), which
explains that “employee” is broadly construed under this statute to include “those who apply to county
boards or their agents for positions which those boards and their agents are authorized to fill.”
9
Information that may be released includes: name, age, date of original employment or
appointment to county service, terms of employment, current position, title, current salary, date
and amount of each increase or decrease in salary with that county, date and type of change in
position classification with that county, date and general description of reasons for promotion in
that county, date and type of disciplinary action taken by county, and office to which employee is
assigned (e.g., early voting site assignment).26
Examples of information that may not be released includes:
•An application for county employment, whether or not the person actually became an
employee, including nomination paperwork, applications for individuals seeking to
become election officials, and information on lists created for the purpose of selecting
nominees or assigning officials other than items like names that may be disclosed as
explained above.27
•The employee’s/appointee’s home address, personal telephone number, personal email
address, date of birth, or party affiliation. This information is not on the list of items that
may be disclosed to the public, and therefore it may not be provided in response a public
records request.28 This does not prevent the disclosure of the lists of names provided by
one party or another, as long as the list includes only information that may be disclosed,
like name. Other information that is not specifically allowed to be disclosed under G.S. §
153A-98(b) must be redacted, if requested.
This list is not exhaustive. Again, information in an election official’s personnel file is
confidential and may not be released in response to a public record’s request unless it is on the
list of information permitted to be released under G.S. § 153A-98(b). County boards that that
have questions about how to respond to a public records request for information about elections
officials should contact their county attorney and/or the State Board.
26 G.S. § 153A-98(b).
27 See Elkin Tribune, Inc. v. Yadkin Cty. Bd. of Cty. Comm'rs, 331 N.C. 735, 737, 417 S.E.2d 465, 466–67
(1992).
28 See David Lawrence, Public Records Law, (2d ed. 2009), at 159, 166. Work email addresses and
phone numbers, however, are open to the public.
10
11. Frequently Asked Questions About Appointment of Early Voting
Officials
1. Do all early voting officials have to be registered voters in the county?
Yes. Because they are precinct officials, early voting officials must be registered voters in the
county.29 Early voting officials are not required to be registered in a particular precinct since
early voting sites serve all voters in the county.
2. What is the minimum number of early voting officials that may serve at a site at a
given time?
By law, a chief judge must be present at each early voting site at all times.30 Although the statute
requires the appointment of two judges only “where possible,” county boards should strive to
appoint two judges for each day of early voting to ensure that there are enough officials present
to run the site. Voter challenges must be heard by the chief judge and two judges.31 Additionally,
curbside voting requires the presence of at least two elections officials.32
There are other reasons why county boards should ensure that more than one early voting official
is always present at a site. County boards need to be able to handle unexpected influxes of voters
and allow for any needed breaks for workers or unexpected events requiring a worker to leave
the site. Having only one official present at the site could also present a safety concern,
particularly if it is dark outside and the official is opening or closing the site on their own.
3. Is it permissible to appoint a chief judge and assistants but no judges?
No. If there is a sufficient number of individuals to serve as assistants, the county board should
first appoint two judges per site. See the answer to Question 2 for more information about the
role of judges.
4. What is the term of an early voting official?
Early voting officials are appointed for one election only. Unlike Election Day precincts, early
voting sites are established by the county board of elections prior to each election. Therefore, it is
not possible to appoint early voting officials to serve for more than one election at a time.
29 See G.S. § 163-41 and G.S. § 163-42, which indicate that precinct officials must be registered voters in
the county.
30 G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) (S.L. 2023-140, sec. 27(c)).
31 G.S. § 163-88.
32 08 NCAC 10B .0108.
11
5. Can a chief judge at early voting sites also serve as a chief judge at an Election Day
precinct?
Yes. County boards should ensure that any official who serves in multiple roles at different times
understands the distinct duties and responsibilities of each role.
6. Can someone be a chief judge sometimes and an assistant sometimes?
Yes.
7. Is there a recommendation for how many officials to appoint?
The needs of each site will vary. County boards of elections are best suited to determine the
number of officials needed at each site at given times. County boards should consider past early
voting turnout in similar elections and whether they may need any additional officials to reduce
the possibility of long lines.
8. Can county boards appoint unaffiliated voters to serve as early voting officials?
Yes, provided the county board follows the appointment process outlined in this memo. A
political party could choose to recommend unaffiliated voters to serve as early voting officials,
or, if the political party does not submit sufficient names, the county board could appoint
unaffiliated voters.
9. What are the restrictions on political activity for early voting officials?
The restrictions on political activity for early voting officials are the same as for Election Day
officials. See Section 3 of this memo for a list of qualifications.
Elections officials also have a duty of impartiality and honesty and may not engage in any
political activity while on duty.33 They should also refrain from any political activity during the
early voting period that could lead someone to question their ability to serve as impartial
elections officials. A precinct official may be removed for “incompetency, failure to discharge
the duties of office, failure to qualify within the time prescribed by law, fraud, or for any other
satisfactory cause.”34 Precinct officials should therefore avoid any activity that could lead to their
removal under this section.
33 G.S. § 163-47(a) and 08 NCAC 10B .0101(a).
34 G.S. § 163-33(2).
12
10. What does it mean for a chief judge or judge to be “of good repute” or have “good
moral character”?
Although not defined in the statute, the North Carolina Supreme Court has described good moral
character as follows:
[Good moral character] is something more than the absence of bad character. It is
the good name which [a person] has acquired, or should have acquired, through
association with his fellows. It means that he must have conducted himself as a
man of upright character ordinarily would, should or does. Such character
expresses itself, not in negatives nor in following the line of least resistance, but
quite often in the will to do the unpleasant thing, if it is right, and the resolve not
to do the pleasant thing, if it is wrong.35
This definition has been applied in the context of civil cases (such as for applicants to become
members of the legal profession)36 and in criminal contexts.37 Good moral character may include
an absence of “significant history of prior criminal activity,” but it is “more than simply the
absence of criminal convictions.”38
If a county board becomes aware of reasons to question a potential precinct official’s “good
repute” or “good moral character,” the county board should evaluate the basis of these concerns
in light of the important responsibilities that these officials are entrusted with. In other words,
they should consider whether the reasons to question the person’s good repute or moral character
are particularly relevant to the election official role. State law permits the rejection of a
recommended poll worker for lack of good repute or good moral character, because these are
statutory qualifications for the role.39 If a county board is going to consider and deliberate on any
reasons to question a prospective poll worker’s good moral character or good repute, it should do
so in closed session.40
35 In re Rogers, 297 N.C. 48, 58 (1979) (quoting In re Applicants for License, 191 N.C. 235, 238 (1926)).
36 See, e.g., Rogers, 297 N.C. at 48.
37 See, e.g., State v. Johnson, 298 N.C. 47 (1979).
38 Johnson, 298 N.C. at 72.
39 G.S. § 163-41(a), (c).
40 See G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(6).
13
11. Can we make recommendations to the parties as to who recommend for
appointment of early voting officials?
Yes. Additionally, the county board should consider providing to the party chairs information
about what makes an early voting official successful, such as:
•Having prior experience as an early voting worker or Election Day precinct official.
•Availability to assist with setup and breakdown of early voting locations.
•Ability to use computers: laptops and printers for elections applications, entering data
into election applications and using voter look-up tools, learning and executing opening
and closing procedures for voting machines (tabulators and ballot marking devices).
•Ability to lift or assist in moving voting machines, supply boxes, and other materials
needed to operate an early voting location. (If physically unable, the county should work
to accommodate so the site is otherwise staffed with someone who is able to do these
things.)
•Ability to work as part of team and take direction.
•Availability to attend county board trainings.
•Ability to reliably work needed shifts.
•Ability and desire to work as an impartial election official who will treat all voters with
fairness and respect.
12. May a party chair submit untrained individuals to receive preference over
experienced workers?
The statute requires early voting officials to be appointed from the lists of names submitted by
the parties. It does not authorize the parties to decide when, where, and in what role an appointee
serves. See the answer to the prior question for more information about recommendations for
communicating with the county party chair to help ensure sure they recommend successful early
voting officials.
13. What happens if the chief judge, judge, or assistant does not show up for a shift at
an early voting site? Who will appoint their replacement?
See Section 4 of this memo regarding vacancies.
14. Is it permissible to appoint multiple individuals to serve as chief judge and judge so
that the county board staff can then assign them daily (always ensuring partisan
balance, where possible) with staff assigning days and shifts as needed and
according to the worker’s availability?
Yes. G.S. § 163-166.35(a1) does not prohibit a county board from assigning multiple individuals
to serve in the same roles, or from assigning the same individual to possibly serve in multiple
roles, provided the partisan balance requirements are met when officials are staffing an early
14
voting site. If the county board chooses to appoint early voting officials in such a manner, staff
are responsible for ensuring that each site is appropriately staffed, that partisan balance
requirements are met where possible, and that officials serving understand their roles and
responsibilities.
July 29, 2025
Party Chair Name
Address
City, State, Zip
RE: NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF EARLY VOTING OFFICIALS
Pursuant to Session Law 2023-140 (SB 747), county boards of elections are required to appoint precinct
officials for each early voting site other than the county board of elections office, for each primary or
election. The session law further provides that county boards shall appoint qualified nominees from lists
provided by the chair of each county political party if such recommendations are received “no later than
the fifth business day preceding the date on which appointments are to be made.”
This letter is to notify you that the New Hanover County Board of Elections is scheduled to meet on
Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. to appoint early voting officials for the upcoming election. In
accordance with Session Law 2023-140, the deadline for recommendations to be received by this office
is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
The following are the qualifications for precinct officials pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 163-41 and -41.1:
•Must be a registered voter and resident of the county;
•Must be of good repute and have good moral character;
•Must be able to read and write;
•Must not hold any elective office under the government of the United States, or of the State
of North Carolina or any political subdivision thereof;
•Must not be a candidate for nomination or election;
•Must not hold any office in a state, congressional district, county, or precinct political party
or political organization, or who is a manager or treasurer for any candidate or political
party, provided however that the position of delegate to a political party convention shall
not be considered an office for the purpose of this subsection; or
•Must not be the wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister of any
candidate for nomination or election if the candidate is on the ballot at the site in which the
precinct official would serve.
•The following categories of relatives are prohibited from serving at the same voting site at
the same time: spouse, child, spouse of a child, sister or brother. These individuals may serve
at different voting sites at the same time or at the same voting site at different times.
Precinct officials are required by law to take an oath before serving, which pledges them to administer
their duties “without fear or favor;” to “not in any manner request or seek to persuade or induce any
voter to vote for or against any particular candidate or proposition;” and to “not keep or make any
memorandum of anything occurring within a voting booth, unless [they are] called upon to testify in a
judicial proceeding for a violation of the election laws of this State.” N.C.G.S. § 163-41(e).
We request that when you consider making these recommendations that you keep in mind the special
requirements for staffing early voting sites, including:
• Availability to assist with setup and breakdown of early voting locations
• Ability to use computers: laptops and printers for elections applications, entering data into
election applications and using voter look-up tools, learning and executing opening and
closing procedures for voting machines (tabulators and ballot marking devices)
• Ability to lift or assist in moving voting machines, supply boxes, and other materials needed
to operate an early voting location. (If physically unable, the county will work to
accommodate so the site is otherwise staffed with someone who is able to do these things.)
• Ability to work as part of team and take direction
• Availability to attend the required general overview training for early voting, multiple
sessions scheduled for the week of September 29, 2025. Additional early voting trainings are
available based on assigned role, but these trainings are optional.
• Ability to work during the Early Voting Period, beginning at 7:00 AM on Thursday, October
16, 2025, and ending upon the conclusion of closing tasks on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
During this period, we run two shifts a day, with a few exceptions:
o Early Shift is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM each weekday the
sites are open
• The first day of Early Voting all Early Shift employees are required to
arrive at 7:00 AM
• Weekend hours differ from weekday hours, and staff may be asked to
work the full weekend day given the open hours are shorter than
weekday hours.
o Late Shift is tentatively scheduled for 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM each weekday the
sites are open
• The last day of Early Voting, all Late Shift employees are required to
assist in the breakdown of the site after the polls are closed, departure
time is dependent upon the completion of that process.
• Weekend hours differ from weekday hours, and staff may be asked to
work the full weekend day given the open hours are shorter than
weekday hours.
o Additional sites may be considered by the board; those sites may have differing
hours and shift requirements.
Please note that working early voting is different from Election Day. The work is similar, but early voting
involves some additional complexity. For example, at early voting, electronic pollbooks must be used at
check-in station and the help station, same-day registration is permitted, and at the ballot table workers
must record the application number and precinct on ballots as they must be retrievable. Additionally,
early voting is multiple days, and the county board will need to ensure that every site is adequately
staffed for every day of the early voting period.
Early voting begins on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 8:00 AM and continues through Saturday
November 1, 2025, at 3:00 PM. We anticipate needing approximately 300 workers in total to staff our
early voting sites.
If the party’s recommendations are not received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, or, if the party
does not submit sufficient recommendations for each early voting site, the county board of elections
may appoint to serve as chief judge, judge, and assistant registered voters in that county who were not
recommended by the party chairs.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Best Regards,
Rae Hunter-Havens
Director of Elections
1
Hunter-Havens, Rae
Subject:Appointment of Early Voting Officials for the 2025 Municipal Elections - Template
Good afternoon, Party Chair,
This email serves as notification of the time during which you will be able to make recommendations regarding
appointment of Early Voting Officials for the 2025 Municipal Elections. Attached you will find the Early
Voting Appointment Letter that contains information about this process, including deadlines for
submission, as well as information related to the Early Voting Schedule. Please review the attached
letter at your earliest convenience.
The New Hanover County Board of Elections will review the party recommendations and act as they see fit at
the August 19, 2025, Board of Elections Special Meeting. At their July 22nd meeting, the NHC Board of
Elections unanimously voted to open one early voting site at the Northeast Library for the 2025 Municipal
Elections. More information about this early voting plan can be found here. The board has scheduled a special
meeting on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, to discuss amending the early voting plan to include an additional
site(s).
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me via phone or email.
Best regards,
Rae
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
General Discussion
Summary:
This is an opportunity for discussion on other elections-related matters not included in the
meeting agenda.
Board Action Required:
Discuss as necessary
Item # 4
Special Meeting
New Hanover County Board of Elections
August 19, 2025
Subject:
Closed Session
Chairman Statement Prior to Closed Session:
I move that the Board enter into closed session, under N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 143-318.11(a)(3) and
(a)(6) to discuss personnel matters and receive legal guidance.
Applicable Statutes and/or Rules:
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-318.11(a)(3) and (a)(6)
Summary:
Closed session is required to discuss personnel matters and receive any legal advice from counsel,
either from the county attorney’s office or from newly selected outside counsel under §§ 143-
318.11(a)(3) and (a)(6).
Board Action Required:
Discuss as necessary
Returning to Open Session:
I move that the Board return to open session, under N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 143-318.11(a)(3) and (a)(6), to
conduct business remaining before the Board.
Item # 2 Item # 5