Board of Elections Meeting | August 25, 2026

Buncombe County Board of Elections Meeting Recap Date: August 25, 2026 Chair: Glenda Weinert

The Buncombe County Board of Elections convened on August 25, 2026, to address administrative updates, election security planning, staffing appointments, and a voter challenge hearing. Executive Director Corrine Duncan provided a comprehensive overview of preparations for the 2026 midterm elections, highlighting the onboarding of new team member Mike Arcada and high attendance at a recent conference in Greensboro. The board also reviewed the passage of House Bill 834, which allows for the pre-processing of early voting ballots and extends the provisional ballot cure deadline to five business days. Current voter registration trends indicate an influx of 1,500 to 2,000 new registrations per week, with absentee ballot requests already exceeding 1,600.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on election security and operational logistics. Board Member Sally raised concerns regarding potential threats, including drones and federal agency presence, prompting Director Duncan to explain the board’s "all-hazards" approach. This includes internal emergency plans, monthly coordination with emergency management, and upcoming tabletop exercises in September and October involving law enforcement and poll workers. The board also addressed a logistical change, approving the relocation of Voting Location 60 from the closed Abiding Savior Lutheran Church to AC Reynolds High School. Additionally, staff presented appointments for Multi-Partisan Assistance Teams (MPAT) and early voting poll workers, noting ongoing challenges in finding Republican chief judges and balancing party representation among a largely unaffiliated electorate.

Public comment included a farewell address from citizen challenger Thomas Neubauer, who thanked the board for its professionalism before moving to McDowell County. Neubauer detailed his methodology for identifying deceased voters, which involves manually searching obituaries and obtaining death certificates from the Register of Deeds. Other community members expressed concerns about potential federal interference with local election protocols. In response, Chair Weinert and Board Member Jake affirmed that the board is coordinating closely with local law enforcement and emergency management to ensure security. Board Member Jake also emphasized the importance of due process, stating it would be inappropriate for the state to remove voters from rolls without a more deliberate and fair process.

The board took several actions during the meeting, voting unanimously to approve the agenda, the July 14 minutes, the updated board calendar, and the proposed poll worker appointments. A key decision involved the voter challenge hearing, where the board sustained challenges on 40 voter records based on death, removing them from the rolls. However, the board denied a challenge regarding Mary Moore/Jo Shipman, keeping her registered after staff identified discrepancies in her date of birth and Social Security number that suggested she was not the deceased individual listed.

Following the meeting, staff committed to providing specific voter registration numbers upon request from Board Member Jake and to reporting back on the outcomes of upcoming security briefings and tabletop exercises. The board also noted that they are still seeking a Republican candidate for a specific poll worker shift at the West Asheville Library. These updates and decisions reflect the board’s ongoing efforts to ensure election integrity, security, and accessibility for Buncombe County residents ahead of the upcoming midterm election.