Event Recap
Board of Elections Meeting Recap: October 30, 2024
The Buncombe County Board of Elections convened on October 30, 2024, to conduct a procedural review of election processes, with the primary focus on the verification of absentee ballots. The meeting addressed the ongoing review of 1,933 remaining absentee ballots, where board members and staff examined signatures, voter information, and ballot validity in the presence of observers. In addition to ballot verification, the board discussed early voting statistics, equipment maintenance, and the acceptance of specific identification documents.
A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the approval of absentee ballots. After careful review and verification of signatures and voter data, the Board approved a large number of these ballots. The Board also voted to count one specific ballot as an "undervote" due to concerns regarding voter intent. This decision reflects the Board’s commitment to accurately recording voter choices while adhering to state regulations for cases where intent is unclear.
The Board also addressed the validity of identification documents, specifically focusing on UNC student IDs that lack expiration dates. Citing a state memo that clarifies these older IDs are acceptable if the institution has received approval for its ID system, the Board voted to accept these documents. To ensure compliance, staff member Chris was tasked with contacting the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA) to confirm the validity of their student IDs.
Operational updates were provided by Director Duncan, who reported that over 90,000 voters had cast ballots through early voting, indicating high turnout. Director Duncan also explained the use of flash drives in tabulating machines, noting that they are switched out to prevent reaching maximum storage capacity—a lesson learned from the 2020 election. He clarified that switching drives resets the count to zero, a normal and easily identifiable process. Additionally, the Board discussed the evolving handwriting styles of younger voters and how this impacts signature verification.
The meeting included a brief discussion on the use of bingo markers for machine testing. A discussion was initiated regarding the potential use of emergency funds to purchase these markers, though no final decision on funding was recorded in the summary. Staff also noted a discrepancy regarding the CIV number on an absentee ballot and will investigate this issue.
The Board highlighted significant community support observed during the election process, including instances where concerned citizens rallied to assist a voter experiencing difficulties. While there were no formal public comments recorded, board members expressed gratitude for the spontaneous assistance and volunteerism provided by community members.
The Board will continue the process of reviewing the remaining absentee ballots. Staff will proceed with the investigation into the CIV number discrepancy, and Chris will contact UNCA regarding student ID validity. No other specific next steps or future meeting dates were explicitly stated in the provided summaries.