Board of Elections Emergency Meeting

The Burke County Board of Elections convened an emergency meeting on November 21, 2024, at 3:00 PM to address urgent matters arising from the recent General Election. The primary focus of the session was reviewing discrepancies identified during the election recount and initiating preliminary consideration of a protest filed by candidate Jefferson Griffin. The Board opened with standard procedures, including a pledge of allegiance, before moving to public comments and agenda amendments.

A significant portion of the discussion centered on the recount process, specifically examining irregularities at the Hildebran Senior Center Early Voting site. The Board reviewed data indicating that a single ballot was missing from one location and three ballots were initially miscounted at another. However, the discussion noted that the final tabulation ultimately matched the original canvass, resolving those specific discrepancies. Alongside this technical review, the Board began examining the protest filed by candidate Griffin, which raised concerns regarding incomplete voter registrations where votes were cast and other procedural irregularities.

Regarding community input, the Board allocated a brief period for public comments, allowing two minutes per speaker. The transcript summary does not provide specific details on the content of these public comments or whether Board members responded directly to them during this segment. The Board’s engagement was primarily procedural, focusing on the administrative handling of the agenda and the specific legal filings presented.

The Board took several decisive actions during the meeting. They unanimously approved an amendment to the agenda, changing the item from the "introduction of petition filed by candidate" to "Preliminary consideration based on protest filed by candidate Griffin." Additionally, the Board unanimously approved a follow-up meeting scheduled for November 22, 2024, at 9:00 AM to finalize the recount canvass. They also unanimously approved scheduling a protest hearing for December 3, 2024, at 10:00 AM, pending the necessary arrangements for a court recorder and notification to the county attorney. The Board stated it would take jurisdiction over issues involving incomplete registration with a vote cast.

Following the meeting, staff agreed to research the remaining issues raised in Griffin’s protest, specifically focusing on incomplete Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) forms with a vote cast and cases involving removed voters who had cast votes. The Board must also secure a court recorder and ensure proper notification for the December 3rd protest hearing. These steps outline the immediate administrative and legal preparations required before the scheduled hearing and the finalization of the recount canvass.