Board of Elections Meeting | September 15, 2026

Meeting Overview The Buncombe County Board of Elections convened on September 15, 2026, at 3:30 PM to address critical election preparations, procedural updates, and logistical planning for upcoming elections. Executive Director Corrine Duncan provided an overview of current activities, including National Voter Registration Day and recent training sessions for poll workers and observers. Deputy Director Maggie Fox presented options for early voting infrastructure for the 2028 presidential election, while staff detailed ongoing logic and accuracy testing and changes to absentee ballot processing procedures mandated by recent State Board memos.

Key Decisions and Votes The Board formally approved the agenda for the September 15 meeting and approved the minutes from the previous meeting on August 25, with a specific correction noted regarding Sally Stein’s birthday. The primary action taken was the unanimous passage of a resolution establishing the time and location for counting absentee and early voting ballots for the November 3, 2026, general election. The Board voted to convene on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM at 35 Woodfin Street to count military, overseas, and civilian absentee ballots, as well as early voting ballots. The motion was made by Council Member Jake and seconded by the Chair.

Discussion Highlights Significant discussion centered on new absentee ballot processing rules and early voting logistics. Aaron Bell reported that 3,150 absentee ballots had been sent out, with 176 returned. He detailed new State Board memos requiring staff to contact voters for a "cure" if an inner container is found unsealed within a sealed outer envelope, rather than counting it automatically. Council Member Jake noted this represents a departure from past practice, expressing disappointment that the new instructions are less practical than the resolution used for the 2022 and 2024 federal elections.

Regarding 2028 planning, Deputy Director Maggie Fox presented options for mobile voting units, noting that RVs are expensive and limited to two check-in stations, while mobile trailers cost approximately $40,000 for one month. Council Member Jake suggested using the budget process to negotiate for the use of existing publicly funded properties instead of immediately budgeting for expensive units. Staff member Speaker 8 clarified security protocols, explaining that DS-200 machines have unchangeable firmware that shuts down if software is altered outside of specific coding parameters.

Community Input and Follow-Ups A board member raised concerns that the public observing Logic and Accuracy testing finds the process opaque and boring, requesting a visible tracker or audit trail. In response, staff agreed to find better ways to communicate the testing process, such as creating an overview video or displaying a tracker showing which machines have been checked. Additionally, staff agreed to answer technical questions regarding how backup machines are programmed for specific precincts.

Other agreed-upon follow-ups include the distribution of the confidential "STEP manual" to Board members if requested, and the drafting of a new resolution to rescind the previous absentee ballot processing resolution at the next meeting on September 29. Staff also agreed to include two units (RVs or trailers) in the 2028 budget as a potential option to keep discussions with county management active, while continuing to explore other site options.

Impact on Residents These decisions directly affect the administration of the upcoming November 3, 2026, general election, establishing a clear, unified location and time for the counting of all absentee and early voting ballots. The procedural changes to absentee ballot processing mean voters may need to respond to "cure" requests if envelope sealing errors occur, rather than having ballots automatically counted or spoiled. Furthermore, the Board’s focus on negotiating for existing properties for 2028 early voting sites aims to reduce costs and improve accessibility, while increased transparency measures for logic and accuracy testing seek to improve public trust and engagement in the election process.