by Blake Proctor
Meeting telephonically once more, with only Emery White not attending, the Bladen County Board of Elections held a short meeting to review staff activities for the last month.
Calling the meeting to order at 5:06pm, Chair Louella Thompson had Member/Secretary Deborah Belle conduct an oral roll call. She then turned the meeting over to Executive Director Chris Williams for his update.
Mr. Williams informed the Board that on March 1st, as mandated by the state Board of electio0ns, staff mailed out National Change of Address (NCOA) cards to 111 registered voters who may have moved from their previous addresses to an address in another precinct, out of the county, or out of the state.
If they have moved to another precinct in the county, they would be ineligible to vote in certain local races, but would be able to vote in others; if they have moved out of county, their new addresses on the NCOA would be sent to the Board of Elections in their new county; and, if out of state, their new local Board in that state would be notified via the NCOA.
Board staff is performing other routine voter roll maintenance to, for instance, cull from the rolls, the names of those who have recently died by accessing that information from the Register of Deeds. Felons not previously culled are removed from the rolls, while those who have had their voting rights restored are added back on.
Mr. Williams advised the Board that Board financial staff would be meeting with County Manager Greg Martin and Finance Officer Lisa Coleman to review the Board’s budget request for the upcoming Fiscal Year. He stated that he is seeking additional funding for postage, due the voting-by-mail experience in 2020 being so costly.
A discussion ensued among the Board members about the widely anticipated announcement that there will be no municipal elections in November, 2021; Mr. Williams replied that this is not yet certain, but definitely a desire of the State Board of Elections.
The State Board is doubtful that all the redistricting could be completed in time for this year’s elections, and does not want to have some counties voting along new district lines while other counties will be using current lines.
The precinct boundaries of those smaller and more rural counties such as Bladen would probably not affected by census results, but the demographics of the more highly populated and faster-growing counties will definitely require precinct line changes. Mr. Williams stated that the final decision on postponing the 2021elections would have to be made by the Legislature.
In a related issue, he was asked about hazard pay for poll workers in any upcoming elections while the pandemic is still with us, and advised the Board that decision would also rest with the Legislature.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:21pm.
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