# Board of Elections Meeting | October 27, 2026

**Body:** Buncombe County Government — Board of Elections
**Date:** October 27, 2026 3:33 PM EDT (2026-10-27T15:33:45-04:00)

**Link:** https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/3282

## Summary

The Buncombe County Board of Elections met on October 27, 2026, to conduct final preparations for the November 3, 2026 General Election. The agenda focused heavily on the high volume of absentee ballot processing required in the days leading up to Election Day, as well as updates on early voting turnout and poll worker appointments.

**Key Decisions and Votes**
The Board voted to approve the meeting agenda and the minutes from the October 20, 2026 meeting. The majority of the meeting was dedicated to the physical review of absentee ballots. The Board voted to disapprove 28 ballots, with 18 rejected due to unsealed envelopes and 10 due to missing witness signatures. Staff confirmed that all affected voters were contacted the following day to reissue ballots or provide early voting information. Additionally, the Board voted to approve 786 absentee ballots, comprising 646 civilian, 7 military, and 133 overseas ballots. As of this meeting, 2,944 absentee ballots have been accepted in total.

**Discussion Highlights**
The Executive Director reported that early voting turnout has been very high, with approximately 63,400 voters as of the previous day. The Executive Director stated, "I am confident that we'll be passing the 2022 numbers and it's possible we could even pass our record, which was 2018 for a midterm." Staff also provided an update on the final slate of election judges, noting that compared to 2025, the current slate includes 76 Republicans, 106 Democrats, 58 unaffiliated individuals, and zero vacancies. Staff explained that the increase in unaffiliated judges occurs when party chairs do not approve specific candidates, leaving those slots to be filled by unaffiliated volunteers.

Regarding polling site conduct, a board member raised concerns about reports from the Weaverville site where staff or officials were allegedly instructing people outside the 50-foot limit that they could not call certain materials "sample ballots." The board member stated, "I'm hoping the communication is being clearly made to election officials that they need to stay in their lane and trying to police what people are saying beyond the 50 foot limit." A staff member responded that they would need more detail to address the issue but acknowledged potential confusion regarding disclaimers on party-produced materials. Another board member clarified that the issue at Weaverville did not come from staff but was an argument occurring outside the site, noting that staff had confirmed individuals could use the term. Staff confirmed that issues regarding signs and access at the Weaverville site were addressed in the previous week and no further complaints have been received.

**Community Input**
A member of the public, Melissa Cole-Essig, asked if the Board or election services had received any communications about federal election monitors coming to Buncombe County. A staff member responded, "I don't know which county it was, but there was one that federal monitor that went to one county. I think it was Wake, but don't hold me to that. And that's all that." The Chair added, "Yeah, we've not had any notifications here of anything."

**Follow-Ups**
Staff agreed to provide the number of "cured" ballots at the next meeting, noting that the count was around 23 as of Monday. Additionally, staff agreed to pull numbers during the canvas phase to determine how many people did not vote because of the new witness signature rules. Staff also noted that three civilian ballots had number mismatches and stated that those voters will be called the following day.

**Impact and Next Steps**
The Board outlined the schedule for the final days of the election. Early voting ends on Saturday, October 31, at 3:00 PM, and the Board reminded the public that free photo IDs are no longer issued between the end of early voting and Election Day. Absentee ballots must be physically received at the Board’s office by 7:30 PM on Election Day, November 3; postmarks do not count. The Board is scheduled to meet on November 2 to process absentee ballots and create the certified absentee list, and on Election Day, November 3, to process early voting tapes and absentee ballots. Further meetings are scheduled for November 4 (photo ID exception forms), November 6 (ballot challenges), November 9 (public sample audit), November 10 (provisional ballots), and November 13 (canvas meeting). The Executive Director reminded the Board that all members must be present for the early voting plan and canvas day meetings.

## Video & Transcript

- Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFglue7OlyM
- Transcript: https://sunshinemeetings.org/transcript/2188/segments

## Sources

- [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFglue7OlyM)