Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard Meeting Agenda Packet 04-14-2026MEETING AGENDA Date: April 14, 2026 Time: 5:30 PM Location: Board of Elections Office, Board Room Type: Regular Scheduled Attendees: Jamie Getty, Chair Eric Navagh, Interim Elections Deputy Director Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Administrative Technician Joey Worsley, Election Database & Systems Specialist Kristen Daley, Election Education and Communication Coordinator Gina Herring, Elections Specialist John Lyon, Secretary Derrick R. Miller, Member James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member Beverly Setz, Member 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 (03/02/2026, 03/03/2026, 03/06/2026, 03/12/2026, 03/13/2026, 03/23/2026) 2.Public Comment Period a.2-minute limit b. 20-minute limit total 3.Department Update a. Financial Update b. List Maintenance Update c.Spring Outreach Event(s) Update 4.General Discussion a. 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. This page intentionally left blank. Page | 3 ITEM # 1c Special Meeting New Hanover County Board of Elections April 14, 2026 Subject: Approval of Agenda Summary: N/A Board Action Required: Staff recommends approval This page intentionally left blank. Page | 5 ITEM # 1d Special Meeting New Hanover County Board of Elections April 14, 2026 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 Board Action Required: Staff recommends approval This page intentionally left blank. Board Minutes – 03/02/2026 Page | 1 SPECIAL MEETING New Hanover County Board of Elections March 2, 2026 5:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Members: Jamie S. Getty, Chair John Lyon, Secretary Derrick R. Miller, Member [attended virtually] James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member Beverly Setz, Member Staff: DeNay Harris, BOE Director Lisa Wurtzbacher, Special Assistant to the Board Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel [attended virtually] Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist Regina Stokes, Election Specialist Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Elections Administrative Technician Ballot Duplication Team: Emily Fountain, Jack Murphy, Gina Herring Visitors: Crystal Whittaker, NHC Executive Aide Public Attendees: Clarice Reber, Leslie Antos, League of Women Voters LCF; Wendy Hunt, NHCDP Virtual Attendees: Board Member Derrick R. Miller; Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel; D. Abel 1. MEETING OPENING a. Call to Order Chair Getty called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of Elections meeting was held in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. Chair Getty, Secretary Lyon, Members Morgan and Setz were present in person; Member Miller was present virtually. Board Minutes – 03/02/2026 Page | 2 b. Pledge of Allegiance Chair Getty called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. c. Approval of Agenda Secretary Lyon moved to approve the agenda as submitted, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. d. Approval of Minutes Chair Getty called for any corrections or changes to the minutes of the 02/10/2026 Board meeting as submitted. Secretary Lyon moved to approve the minutes as submitted, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. 2. 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 ten minutes. Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getty closed the Public Comment period. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Review of Absentee Ballot Applications Elections Director DeNay Harris called on Elections Specialist Regina Stokes to present the report on the absentee ballot applications. Ms. Stokes reported a total of 125 absentee ballot applications for the Board’s consideration. Ms. Stokes presented 110 civilian absentee applications which 3 staff members reviewed, met all requirements, and are recommended for the Board’s approval. Following discussion, the Board agreed to review 15 applications for completeness. After review, Chair Getty moved to approve 110 civilian absentee applications and to authorize staff to proceed with the preparatory steps of opening the sealed ballot envelopes and scanning the ballots for counting on Election Day, seconded by Secretary Lyon. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Ms. Stokes presented 1 military and 9 overseas applications with ballots submitted Board Minutes – 03/02/2026 Page | 3 electronically, requiring Board review of the applications and duplicated ballots. After Board review, Chair Getty moved to approve the applications and duplicated ballots, seconded by Secretary Lyon. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Ms. Stokes presented 1 civilian absentee application where the voter sealed their photo ID in the ballot envelope. The Board opened the ballot envelope which contained a photo ID exception form with the reason that the voter was unable to make a copy their ID and provided the required identification number for verification. Ms. Stokes presented 2 absentee applications received through the Visually Impaired Portal with ballots submitted electronically requiring Board review of the applications and duplicated ballots. After review, Chair Getty moved to approve 1 civilian application with a valid photo ID exception form and 2 Visually Impaired Portal applications and duplicated ballots, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Ms. Stokes presented 2 civilian absentee applications with cures, 1 for the voter’s signature on the photo ID exception form and 1 to provide a readable copy of their photo ID. After Board review, Chair Getty moved to approve 2 civilian applications with cures, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. The Board reviewed 2 machine-rejected ballots duplicated by the duplication team, as required. After review, the Board accepted both duplicated ballots without objection of the members present. Scanning began at 5:13 p.m. and concluded at 5:48 p.m. The Board members present reviewed the precincts process report and signed the Absentee Ballot Meeting Certification. Director Harris called on Kristen Daley, Elections Education & Communications Coordinator, to present the staff recommendation of a substitute judge for CF06 due to the appointed judge being unable to serve in the primary. Secretary Lyon moved to approve the recommended substitution for the primary election, which the Board approved by unanimous consent of the members present. b.Oath Certificates for Absentee Ballots Chair Getty signed the Oath certifying the absentee ballots received by 5:00 p.m. on the day preceding the election. The Oath addressed military, overseas and civilian absentee applications and ballots received and is attached to the certified list of absentee voters. 4. GENERAL DISCUSSION Chair Getty called on the Board for general discussion of any election-related items. Board Minutes – 03/02/2026 Page | 4 Member Setz asked for an update on the registration repair project. Director Harris said the list for this county has been reduced by 1 with 1,577 registrations remaining to update. Chair Getty presented a resolution of appreciation to Lisa Wurtzbacher, Special Assistant to the Board, and Crystal Whittaker, Interim Elections Director, for their service to the Board during the transition of Elections Director. The resolution requested that it become part of the permanent records of the New Hanover County Board of Elections. On motion of Chair Getty, seconded by Secretary Lyon, the Board approved the resolution by the unanimous vote of the members present. 5. CLOSED SESSION Chair Getty said there is no business requiring a closed session. 6. ADJOURNMENT Chair Getty adjourned at 6:07 p.m. The next Board meeting, to review absentee ballots received after 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election, is scheduled to be held on March 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: _______________________________ JAMIE GETTY CHAIR ______________________________ JOHN LYON SECRETARY Board Minutes – 03/03/2026 Page | 1 SPECIAL MEETING New Hanover County Board of Elections March 3, 2026 2:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Members: Jamie S. Getty, Chair John Lyon, Secretary Derrick R. Miller, Member [attended virtually] James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member Beverly Setz, Member Staff: DeNay Harris, BOE Director Lisa Wurtzbacher, Special Assistant to the Board Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist Regina Stokes, Election Specialist Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Elections Administrative Technician Ballot Duplication Team: Denise Brown, Gina Herring, Jack Murphy Assisting Staff: Jennifer Sparks, Printelect Visitors: Crystal Whittaker, NHC Executive Aide Public Attendees: Afternoon session – Celeste Parenti, NC Dems; Leslie Antos, Clarice Reber, League of Women Voters LCF Evening session - Celeste Parenti, NC Dems; Leslie Antos, Clarice Reber, League of Women Voters LCF Evening session - Celeste Parenti, NC Dems; Leslie Antos, Clarice Reber, League of Women Voters LCF Virtual Attendees: None AFTERNOON SESSION 1.MEETING OPENING a.Call to Order Chair Getty called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of Board Minutes – 03/03/2026 Page | 2 Elections meeting was held in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. Chair Getty, Secretary Lyon, Members Morgan and Setz attended in person, and Member Miller attended virtually. b.Pledge of Allegiance Chair Getty called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. c.Approval of Agenda Secretary Lyon moved to approve the agenda as submitted, seconded by Chair Getty. Motion carried unanimously. 2. 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 ten minutes. Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getty closed the Public Comment period. 3. NEW BUSINESS a.Review of Absentee Ballot Applications Elections Director DeNay Harris called on Elections Specialist Regina Stokes to present the report on the absentee ballot applications received before 2:00 p.m. on Election Day. Ms. Stokes reported a total of 50 absentee ballot applications for the Board’s consideration. Ms. Stokes presented 46 civilian absentee applications which 3 staff members reviewed, met all requirements, and are recommended for Board approval. Following discussion, the Board agreed to review 15 absentee applications to verify compliance with all requirements. After review, Chair Getty moved to approve 46 civilian absentee ballot applications and to authorize staff to proceed with the preparatory steps of opening the sealed ballot envelopes and scanning the ballots for counting after the polls close on Election Day, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Ms. Stokes presented 1 overseas application and ballot received electronically, requiring Board review. After Board review, Chair Getty moved to approve the application and duplicated ballot, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Board Minutes – 03/03/2026 Page | 3 Ms. Stokes presented 3 civilian absentee applications with the voters’ photo IDs sealed in the ballot envelopes. The Board opened the ballot envelopes and reviewed the photo IDs. After review, Chair Getty moved to approve 3 civilian absentee ballot applications, seconded by Secretary Lyon. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Scanning of the approved absentee ballots began at 2:12 p.m. and concluded at 2:37 p.m. The Board reviewed the zero report and precincts processed report, and the members present signed the Absentee Meeting Ballot Certification. Chair Getty asked for an update on how voting is going. Director Harris said, as of 10:00 a.m. precinct reporting, voters had cast 2,651 ballots; as of 2:00 p.m., voters had cast 8,240 ballots. There was 1 report of improper partisan conversation in the polling place. The chief judge warned the election official involved to stop all partisan conversation, subject to dismissal if it continued. Member Setz asked about any feedback received on not holding early voting at the Senior Resource Center. Director Harris said having 4 instead of 5 early voting sites created traffic flow issues at the Northeast Library and CFCC McLeod Building. Board members asked Director Harris to continue seeking an early voting location in the same general area as the Senior Resource Center. Staff presented 1 machine-rejected ballot that the ballot duplication team duplicated for Board review. The Board reviewed the duplicated ballot and approved it by unanimous consent. The Board reviewed the zero report and precinct process report and signed the Absentee Meeting Ballot Certification. Chair Getty said the Board would recess until 7:20 p.m. EVENING SESSION Chair Getty called the meeting back to order at 7:32 p.m. with Chair Getty, Secretary Lyon, Members Morgan and Setz present in person, and Member Miller attending virtually. The Board authorized the staff to close and tabulate the early voting results from the DS200s for each site and upload the results to the NC State Board of Elections. Secretary Lyon reported that publication of election results will be delayed by one hour until 8:30 p.m. due to the extension of voting in Halifax County. Elections Specialist Regina Stokes presented 4 supplemental absentee ballots received after 2:00 p.m. on Election Day. Board Minutes – 03/03/2026 Page | 4 Ms. Stokes presented 2 civilian absentee applications which 3 staff members reviewed, met all requirements and are recommended for Board approval. After Board review, Chair Getty moved to approve 2 civilian absentee applications received timely, seconded by Secretary Lyon. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Ms. Stokes presented 2 overseas civilian absentee applications and ballots received timely electronically. The ballot duplication team duplicated the ballots before the meeting for Board review. After review, Chair Getty moved to approve 2 overseas civilian absentee applications and duplicated ballots, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. Scanning of the approved absentee ballots began at 7:39 p.m. and concluded at 7:49 p.m. The Board reviewed the zero report and precincts processed report and signed the Absentee Meeting Ballot Certification. b. Oath Certificates for Absentee Ballots The Board reviewed and signed the printed results tapes from the early voting DS200s. Chair Getty signed the Supplemental Oath Certificate of Executed Absentee Ballots (Civilian) and Supplemental Oath Certificate of Executed Absentee Ballots (Military and Overseas), notarized by Gina Herring. The Board members present reviewed and signed the Absentee Abstract Report, notarized by Denise Brown. 4. GENERAL DISCUSSION Chair Getty called on the Board for general discussion of any election-related items. Hearing none, Chair Getty closed the general discussion. 5. CLOSED SESSION Chair Getty said there is no business requiring a closed session. 6. ADJOURNMENT Chair Getty moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Secretary Lyon. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. The meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m. The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on March 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. Board Minutes – 03/03/2026 Page | 5 RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: _______________________________ JAMIE GETTY CHAIR ______________________________ JOHN LYON SECRETARY This page intentionally left blank. Board Minutes – 03/06/2026 Page | 1 SPECIAL MEETING New Hanover County Board of Elections March 6, 2026 2:00 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: DeNay Harris, Elections Director Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel [attended virtually] Denise Brown, Elections Compliance Specialist Kristen Daley, Elections Education & Communications Coordinator Eric Navagh, Elections Logistics Coordinator Regina Stokes, Elections Specialist Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Elections Administrative Technician Assisting Staff: Emily Fountain, Jim Keefe, Sheryl Kelly, Jack Murphy, Sarah Vitt Public Attendees: Susan Reilly, VPA; Daryl Young, Common Cause; Clarice Reber, League of Women Voters LCF; Bryan Alonso, WWAY; Wendy Hunt, NHCDP Virtual Attendees: D. Abel; Keith 1. MEETING OPENING a. Call to Order Chair Getty called the meeting to order at 2:01p.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. Board Minutes – 03/06/2026 Page | 2 b.Pledge of Allegiance Chair Getty called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. c.Approval of Agenda Secretary Lyon moved to approve the agenda as submitted, seconded by Member Miller. Motion carried unanimously. 2. 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 ten minutes. Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getty closed the Public Comment period. 3. NEW BUSINESS •Review of UOCAVA Ballot Applications Director Harris called on Elections Specialist Stokes to present 2 UOCAVA absentee applications and ballots submitted electronically requiring board review of the applications and duplicated ballots. UOCAVA ballots must be mailed by 12:01 a.m. on Election Day and received by the county board of elections by 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before canvass. After Board review, Chair Getty moved to approve 2 UOCAVA applications and duplicated ballots, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried unanimously. •Review of Provisional Ballot Applications Director Harris called on Elections Education & Communications Coordinator Daley for the provisional ballots research and recommendations. Ms. Daley presented a total of 289 provisional ballots received in this election. Following thorough staff research, staff recommended approving 151 provisional ballots that meet all statutory requirements and disapproving 138 provisional ballots that do not meet statutory requirements. In addition, she presented 2 provisionals that require board authorization to open for further review because 1 has the photo ID sealed in the ballot envelope and 1 has the provisional application sealed in the ballot envelope. Chair Getty moved to authorize staff to open the provisional envelopes and research the contents to determine whether to accept the provisional ballots, seconded by Member Board Minutes – 03/06/2026 Page | 3 Miller. Motion carried unanimously. Member Setz questioned why staff reported a total of 291 provisional applications when the State Board of Elections website reports 284 provisional applications. Director Harris said the county boards of election complete a State Board survey reporting unofficial and preliminary numbers which are updated as warranted. Following staff research, Director Harris recommended approval of 2 provisional ballots that meet statutory requirements. Member Miller moved to approve 153 provisional ballots, seconded by Chair Getty. Motion carried unanimously. Director Harris said staff would open the approved provisional envelopes, separate the ballots from the voters’ applications, and tabulate the ballots on the DS850. Member Miller moved to reject 138 provisional ballots that do not meet statutory requirements, seconded by Chair Getty. Motion carried unanimously. Director Harris presented a provisional ballot that was included in the 138 disapproved provisionals. The provisional ballot was inserted into the DS200 and counted in error. Because all provisional ballots are labeled for identification, the election officials could locate and retrieve it from the tabulator. The ballot will not count because the voter cast a ballot of the party other than the voter’s registered party affiliation. The ballot will be deducted from the results during canvass. Tabulation of the provisional ballots began at 2:46 p.m. and concluded at 3:03 p.m. 4. GENERAL DISCUSSION Chair Getty called on the Board for general discussion of any election-related items. Director Harris reported that voting on Election Day went very well with all results reported to the State Board of Elections by 10:00 p.m. At Member Miller’s request, the Board reviewed the schedule of meetings coming up: regular meeting on March 10 at 5:30 p.m.; counting UOCAVA ballots on March 12 at 5:00 p.m.; and final canvass on March 13 at 11:00 a.m. 5. CLOSED SESSION Chair Getty called for a closed session to discuss personnel matters pursuant to NC Gen. Stat. §143-318.11(6). 6. ADJOURNMENT Board Minutes – 03/06/2026 Page | 4 The Board returned to open session and adjourned at 4:05 p.m. The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on March 10, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: _______________________________ JAMIE GETTY CHAIR ______________________________ JOHN LYON SECRETARY Board Minutes – 03/12/2026 Page | 1 SPECIAL MEETING New Hanover County Board of Elections March 12, 2026 5:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Members: Jamie S. Getty, Chair [excused] John Lyon, Secretary Derrick R. Miller, Member James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member Beverly Setz, Member Staff: DeNay Harris, BOE Direct Denise Brown, Elections Compliance Specialist Kristen Daley, Elections Education & Communications Coordinator Eric Navagh, Elections Logistics Coordinator Regina Stokes, Election Specialist Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Elections Administrative Technician Assisting Staff: Jennifer Sparks, Printelect Sample Audit Teams: H13 Team - Lenore Howard, Barry Jezercak, Lisa Bohbrink, Wayne Gibson; FP03 Team – Erin Campbell, Frank Lopez, Eileen Jezercak, Emily Fountain Visitors: Lisa Wurtzbacher, Assistant County Manager Public Attendees: Clarice Reber, League of Women Voters LCF; Wendy Hunt, Jill Hopman, NHCDP Virtual Attendees: Tyler Daye; Brenna; Alherd Kazura; D. Abel 1. MEETING OPENING a. Call to Order Secretary Lyon called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of Board Minutes – 03/12/2026 Page | 2 Elections meeting was held in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. Secretary Lyon, Members Miller, Morgan and Setz were present, establishing a quorum. b.Pledge of Allegiance Secretary Lyon called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. c.Approval of Agenda Member Miller moved to approve the agenda as submitted, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the Members present. 2. 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 ten minutes. Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getty closed the Public Comment period. 3. NEW BUSINESS a.Sample Audit Count State statute requires each county board of elections to conduct a sample hand-to-eye count following every election in which ballots are counted by a voting system. The purpose of the audit is to verify the accuracy of the machine count prior to canvass. The statute requires that the sample audit includes one or more full precincts, full counts of absentee ballots, full counts of early voting sites, or any combination. The hand-to-eye count is a manual comparison of the voter-marked ballots for a designated contest against the totals reported from the DS200 tabulators. The selected contest is a statewide ballot item appearing on every ballot in the selected sites. For the 2026 Primary, the contest checked is the US Senate contest. The size of the sample and contest selection are determined with the aid of a statistician to produce a statistically significant result. For the 2026 Primary, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) randomly selected precincts FP03, Kure Beach Town Hall, and H13, Porters Neck Village, for the sample audit count. The public may observe the sample audit. Elections Director Harris requested that the Board authorize staff and 2 sample audit teams to conduct the sample audit count. Member Miller moved to authorize staff to Board Minutes – 03/12/2026 Page | 3 proceed with the sample audit count, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the Members present. b. Review of Absentee Ballot Applications Elections Director Harris called on Elections Specialist Regina Stokes to present the absentee applications. Ms. Stokes presented 1 absentee ballot received timely on Election Day. After the Board members reviewed the absentee application, Member Miller moved to approve the absentee application, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. c. Review of Machine Rejected Ballots Director Harris called on Joey Worsley, Database & Systems Specialist, to present the machine rejected ballots. Mr. Worsley presented 2 ballots that were machine-rejected on Election Day, and 1 regular ballot that an election official mistakenly placed into a provisional envelope during early voting. He requested Board approval to scan and tabulate the 3 ballots on the DS850 first to see if the more sensitive equipment can read the ballots. If not, then staff will duplicate the ballots for scanning and tabulating, subject to Board review. In response to questions from Member Miller about why the regular ballot in a provisional envelope was overlooked, staff explained the voter was processed as a regular voter and voted a regular ballot. Due to the election official’s confusion about a DL/SSN question, the election official put the ballot and ATV in a provisional envelope in a sealed polybag so there was no record by which to open it during the provisional review. In response to a question from Member Setz, Mr. Worsley confirmed that the ballot has been held in the secure cage since it was received, preserving the chain of custody. Member Miller moved to approve the processing of the 3 ballots, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. d. Review of Same-Day Registration Failed Verification Eligible voters who are US citizens, have lived in the county for at least 30 days before Election Day, attest to their eligibility, and provide proof of residence may register to vote and cast a ballot at an early voting site during the early voting period. Within 2 business days of receiving a same-day registration, the county board of elections must verify the registrant’s driver’s license or Social Security number, update the voter registration database, and send a verification card to the registrant’s mailing address. The ballot is counted unless the county board determines that the registrant does not meet the Board Minutes – 03/12/2026 Page | 4 qualifications to vote under North Carolina law, including the return to the county board of the verification card as undeliverable. Voter registration verification cards for 2 same day registrants were returned undeliverable, disqualifying the ballot that was cast and requiring manual removal of the votes cast by the same-day registrants. In response to a question from Member Setz, the sample audit count is a process of sampling the voting results from 2 randomly selected precincts to verify the accuracy of the machine counts for those precincts. The 2 selected precincts are determined through a statistical algorithm to achieve a reliable and statistically significant result. Member Miller moved to authorize staff to deduct 2 voted ballots from the totals due to failure to validate the same-day registration process, seconded by Member Morgan. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the Members present. 4. GENERAL DISCUSSION Secretary Lyon called on the Board for general discussion of any election-related items. Director Harris reported that the State Auditor’s office had announced on February 17 a statewide audit, with reports due on March 13, the day of the primary election canvass. The Auditor later postponed the audit after hearing questions and concerns about conflicts with the canvass of the primary election. Scanning of the Board-approved absentee and machine rejected ballots was completed at 5:29 p.m. The Sample Audit Count was completed at 6:08 p.m. No errors were found and the reported results matched the results of the sample hand-to-eye counts. Member Miller asked about the status of the hiring process for the vacant Deputy Director position. Director Harris said the position was posted on March 10 and closes March 21. Human Resources has reported receiving 16 applications so far. 5. CLOSED SESSION Secretary Lyon said there is no business requiring a closed session. 6. ADJOURNMENT Member Miller moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Member Setz. Motion carried by unanimous vote of the members present. The meeting adjourned at 6:12 p.m. Board Minutes – 03/12/2026 Page | 5 The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on March 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: _______________________________ JAMIE GETTY CHAIR ______________________________ JOHN LYON SECRETARY This page intentionally left blank. Board Minutes – 03/13/2026 Page | 1 SPECIAL MEETING New Hanover County Board of Elections March 13, 2026 11:00 A.M. ATTENDANCE Members: Jamie S. Getty, Chair John Lyon, Secretary Derrick R. Miller, Member James (Jim) Battle Morgan, Jr., Member Beverly Setz, Member Staff: DeNay Harris, Elections Director Denise Brown, Elections Compliance Specialist Kristen Daley, Elections Education & Communications Coordinator Regina Stokes, Election Specialist Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Elections Administrative Technician Assisting Staff: Jennifer Sparks, Printelect Visitors: Lisa Wurtzbacher, Assistant County Manager Public Attendees: Emily Fountain; Clarice Reber, Leslie Antos, Jana Albritton, League of Women Voter LCF; Brenna Flanagan, Port City Daily; Wendy Hunt, NHCDP Virtual Attendees: Anastasia Vandeberg; Alherd Kazura 1. MEETING OPENING a. Call to Order Chair Getty called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.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. Board Minutes – 03/13/2026 Page | 2 b. Pledge of Allegiance Chair Getty called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. c. Approval of Agenda Member Morgan moved to approve the agenda as submitted, seconded by Chair Getty. Motion carried unanimously. d. Approval of Minutes Chair Getty called for any corrections or changes to the minutes of the 03/02/2026, 03/03/2026 and 03/06/2026 Board meetings. Member Miller requested to table the minutes. Chair Getty said the Board could take those up later. Hearing no objections, Chair Getty said the minutes are tabled by unanimous consent. 2. 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 ten minutes. Seeing and hearing no public attendees wishing to comment, Chair Getty closed the Public Comment period. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Canvass of the 2026 Primary Election Elections Director DeNay Harris said the reconciliation notes on the canvass process are before the Board. The primary election is 100% reconciled with no errors or issues. She presented 5 copies of the canvass report for the Board’s signatures which Denise Brown will notarize. Chair Getty asked whether staff have received any voter challenges? Director Harris said none were filed locally nor with the NC State Board of Elections (NCSBE) by the March 10 deadline. Member Miller asked about the presentation of the changes in the reconciliation report. Director Harris called on Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist, to review the reconciliation process. Mr. Worsley said the reconciliation process matches voter history with the number of votes cast daily at each early voting site and each precinct on election day. Where those Board Minutes – 03/13/2026 Page | 3 numbers did not match, he researched and reported the reason for the discrepancy, and showed the adjusted totals in the report. Member Miller said this is just a different way of presenting the numbers, but the process remains the same. This report looks a little different because 100% of votes cast matched the number of voting records. Chair Getty said this office has not received any voter challenges. She asked whether there is a process for the Board to initiate a voter challenge? Director Harris said NCSBE will notify the county board of any challenges they receive. None were received by the March 10 deadline. Director Harris said after the Board finished reviewing the canvass report she would recommend a Board motion to approve the canvass followed by signatures by the Board members and notarized by Denise Brown. Member Miller moved to approve the canvass report, seconded by Chair Getty. Motion carried unanimously. The Board members signed the canvass reports. Director Harris gave one copy of the executed canvass report to Chair Getty to present to the County. Director Harris provided a summary canvass report for the public attendees. 4. GENERAL DISCUSSION Chair Getty called on the Board for general discussion of any election-related items. Hearing none, she moved to the next agenda item. 5. CLOSED SESSION Chair Getty said there is no business requiring a closed session. 6. ADJOURNMENT Chair Getty moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Member Miller. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 11:09 a.m. The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on April 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. Board Minutes – 03/13/2026 Page | 4 RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: _______________________________ JAMIE GETTY CHAIR ______________________________ JOHN LYON SECRETARY Board Minutes – 03/23/2026 Page | 1 SPECIAL MEETING New Hanover County Board of Elections March 23, 2026 5:00 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: DeNay Harris, Elections Director Mark Payne, Board Legal Counsel Denise Brown, Elections Compliance Specialist Kristen Daley, Elections Education & Communications Coordinator Eric Navagh, Logistics Coordinator Regina Stokes, Election Specialist Joey Worsley, Elections Database & Systems Specialist Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, Elections Administrative Technician Visitors: Lisa Wurtzbacher, Assistant County Manager; Mark Francolini, Human Director; Sunny Hwang, Chief Information Officer Public Attendees: Spero Pekatos, Jacqueline Gilmore-Jackson, NAACP; Julius Rothlein, NHC GOP; Caroline Dawkins; Wendy Hunt, NHCDP; Jana Albritton, League of Women Voters LCF; Connor Smith, WECT; Conor Doherty, WWAY Virtual Attendees: RE; Clarice Reber, League of Women Voters LCF; Josh Smith, NHC Chief Communications Officer; Shea Carver, Port City Daily; Derek Bowens; Nick Craig; Eileen Jezercak; Lisa Espy; Leni Fleming; Dallas Woodhouse; Robey Suleman; Angela Hawkins; Anonymous; Tyler Cralle; LeRon Montgomery; J. Murphy; WECT News; A. Hawkins; John Murphy; RR; Katherine Corpening; Pam Greene Board Minutes – 03/23/2026 Page | 2 1.MEETING OPENING a.Call to Order Chair Getty called the meeting to order at 4:59 p.m. The New Hanover County Board of Elections meeting was held in the New Hanover County Government Center, Room 155, 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. All members were present. b.Pledge of Allegiance Chair Getty called on the audience to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. c.Approval of Agenda Secretary Lyon moved to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by Member Miller. Motion carried unanimously. 2. 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. 3. 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(3) and (6), seconded by Member Miller. Motion carried unanimously. The Board entered closed session at 5:01 p.m. The Board returned to open session at 7:48 p.m. on the motion of Chair Getty, seconded by Member Miller and Secretary Lyon. Motion carried unanimously. Chair Getty announced that there will be no action taken by the Board. She said Elections Director DeNay Harris would continue to be on paid administrative leave until the Board completed their review. Chair Getty then read this statement for the record: Just eight months ago, this Board was seated as the guardians of election administration in New Hanover County. Since that time, on a bipartisan basis, we have made significant progress in improving transparency, election security, and the delivery of election services Board Minutes – 03/23/2026 Page | 3 to the people of New Hanover County. We have successfully conducted two elections and were aided with these efforts by the County Manager’s office and other senior county officials. We thank them for working with this Board to improve elections in New Hanover County, despite a prior history of division between the county and election leadership. We are proud that those days are behind us, and we will not go back. This Board takes the confidentiality of personal and personnel matters seriously. We cannot control if the Elections Director chooses to waive her confidentiality, but the Board will continue to be bound by the law. Public comments by elections staff that disparage fellow county employees and public servants are unacceptable to this Board. The Board did not authorize, nor does it endorse, any such communications. To those whose character and public service were maligned, we offer our sincere apologies. Director [Harris] will remain on leave until the conclusion of the review of this matter. This is with bipartisan and unanimous support. In the meantime, our dedicated staff continues to register voters, answer questions, and prepare for the November elections. Our work continues unabated. Neither this Board nor any of its members can, under North Carolina law, have further comment on this matter until the process has reached its conclusion. 6. ADJOURNMENT Secretary Lyon moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Chair Getty. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:51p.m. The next Board meeting is scheduled to be held on April 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., in the Board of Elections office, 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC. Board Minutes – 03/23/2026 Page | 4 RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: _______________________________ JAMIE GETTY CHAIR ______________________________ JOHN LYON SECRETARY Page | 33 ITEM # 2 Special Meeting New Hanover County Board of Elections April 14, 2026 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 This page intentionally left blank. Page | 35 ITEM # 3 Special Meeting New Hanover County Board of Elections April 14, 2026 Subject: Department Update Summary: a.Financial Update The attached reports provide the Board with a financial update, including the following: •Staff are providing the Board with a Year-to-Date Financial Update reflecting expenditures through March 31, 2026. The report summarizes financial activity in comparison to the adopted FY25–26 budget and highlights available balances across major expenditure categories. b.List Maintenance Update Per data provided from the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS), the New Hanover County Board of Elections Completed the following: •Removed 2,028 voters from the voter registration rolls from January 1, 2026, through April 1, 2026, consistent with NC Gen Stat. §163-82.14 •Processed 3,976 new registration forms, 3,242 duplicate registration forms, and 3,876 registration update forms from January 1, 2026, through April 1, 2026. c.Spring Outreach Event Update Staff will be conducting two outreach events this spring to support voter education and election official recruitment efforts: •April 28, 2026 – UNCW Campus Life Market Day Staff will host an informational table to engage with college students Page | 36 about voting options, distribute educational materials, and recruit students interested in serving as election officials. •May 15, 2026 – Retirement Academy Staff will host an informational table and deliver a 45-minute presentation to retirees and pre-retirees covering voting options, voter photo ID requirements, election official recruitment opportunities, and key upcoming election dates and deadlines. Documents/s Included: Financial Year-To-Date Budget Report; NVRA Report January 1, 2026, through April 1,2026. Board Action Required: Discuss as necessary This page intentionally left blank. This page intentionally left blank. Page | 53 ITEM # 4 Special Meeting New Hanover County Board of Elections April 14, 2026 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 This page intentionally left blank. Page | 55 ITEM # 5 Special Meeting New Hanover County Board of Elections April 14, 2026 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 certain personnel matters, §§ 143-318.11(a)(3), and receive legal advice from the Board’s attorney, §§ 143-318.11(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. This page intentionally left blank.