Event Recap
The Buncombe County Board of Elections met on December 9, 2025, to address operational updates, voting location changes, staff appointments, and budget reviews. The meeting focused on preparing for the 2026 election cycle, including the approval of early voting poll workers and multipartisan assistance teams, as well as resolving several voting location changes necessitated by facility issues.
The Board unanimously approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from previous meetings held on November 13 and November 14, 2025. During the office updates, staff welcomed Aaron Bell as the new Absentee Coordinator and reported that candidate filing for the 2026 election, which began December 1, has resulted in 31 candidates filing as of the meeting date. The Board noted that the early voting plan was submitted to the State Board of Elections on December 4, 2025, and is expected to be automatically approved as a unanimous plan. Staff also highlighted recent outreach efforts, including an event at Deerfield and a scheduled voter registration drive at Community High School in Swannanoa on December 10.
A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to approving voting location changes, primarily due to facility issues related to damage from Hurricane Helene. The Board approved Resolution 2025-10 to move Precinct 4.1 from the North Asheville Community Center to Claxton Elementary School. Additionally, the Board approved Resolutions 2025-11 through 2025-16, which moved six other precincts to new locations, including shifts from fire departments and schools to libraries and churches. The Board also approved Resolution 2025-17, establishing out-of-precinct voting locations for 16 precincts. Staff reported that they visited Cane Creek Community Center to evaluate it as a potential polling place for Precinct 57.1.
Regarding staffing, the Board approved the list of Early Voting election official appointments for the 2026 Primary. Staff reported that of 59 nominated Republicans, 36 accepted, and of 80 nominated Democrats, 63 accepted. The Board also approved 19 Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) appointments, consisting of 9 Republicans, 8 Democrats, and 2 Unaffiliated individuals. Furthermore, the Board adopted Resolution 2025-09, which delegates authority to the Director of Elections and the Recruiting and Outreach Coordinator to fill poll worker vacancies and appoint emergency Election Day assistants, effective through July 15, 2027.
The Board reviewed the proposed FY2027 budget and requested additional information on early voting and permanent staff salaries. The budget review was not completed at this meeting and is scheduled to be revisited at the next meeting. In other discussions, Board members expressed concerns regarding the City of Asheville’s decision to relocate voting at the North Asheville Community Center, emphasizing the importance of accessible community resources. The Board also discussed the need to increase pay rates for seasonal staff and poll workers to remain competitive, anticipating a compensation study in 2026.
For voter challenges, the Board reviewed 25 preliminary challenges, all based on the claim that the voter is deceased. The Board voted to proceed to full hearings for all 25 challenges, which are scheduled for the January 6, 2026, meeting. The Board also noted that a State Board meeting is scheduled for December 13, 2025, with regional board chairs.
The next Board of Elections meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 3:30 pm at 35 Woodfin Street in Asheville.