State board rules on Jackson election complaints
Under state law, the NCSBE conducts an initial review to determine whether a complaint presents sufficient evidence of misconduct or a violation of election-related duties.
NCSBE photo
Two complaints filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections against Jackson County Board of Elections Chair Bill Thompson were dismissed after they were given initial consideration at a March 25 meeting of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
The complaints alleged that Jackson County Board of Elections Chair Bill Thompson made inappropriate and potentially discriminatory remarks inside a Cullowhee polling place during early voting on Feb. 13.
Both complaints were submitted the same day as the alleged incident, which occurred during the second day of in-person early voting. According to the filings, Thompson entered the polling site in the morning and made comments referencing France, Germany, immigration and public safety.
The complaints were filed by a Cullowhee resident and a poll worker from Cashiers. Each account describes a similar exchange and identifies multiple witnesses. While no voters were reported to be directly affected at the time, the complainants characterized the comments as inappropriate for a polling location and troubling given Thompson’s role in overseeing county elections.
Under state law, the NCSBE conducts an initial review to determine whether a complaint presents sufficient evidence of misconduct or a violation of election-related duties. If that threshold is met, the board may schedule a formal hearing, notify the accused and allow both sides to present evidence and testimony. The board also has the authority to compel witnesses and issue a final determination, which may be subject to appeal.
The board determined by a 4-1 vote that the threshold was not met, but discussion among the board seemed to converge on the point that Thompson’s comments were inappropriate.
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“I think it brings into question all that we've accomplished as a complete unit,” said Jeff Carmon, the only member to vote no on a motion to dismiss the complaints. “When you have an individual making those types of remarks, it's not only offensive, it's inappropriate and a chairman should not be making those statements. I find that it … brings in the question of dignity and impartiality of his ability to serve on the board.”
Sioban Millen, who ended up siding with the majority on the motion, still voiced her disapproval of Thompson’s comments.
“I concur with what Mr. Carmon has said. I think as well as what you've pointed out, we're also cautioned not to bring politics into the polling place and discussions of politics,” Millen said. “At least one of those instances cited in the protest is arguably a political commentary, or brings in issues that really have no place in a polling place.”
Another board member who voted to dismiss the complaints against Thompson, Stacy Eggers, also issued a strong rebuke of Thompson.
“Mr. Chairman, I think it is worth cautioning the chair [Thompson] as to his discussions, choice of words and what he chooses to discuss at the polling place,” Eggers said. “I know Miss [Angela] Hawkins [another board member] and I both have spent a lot of time in county precincts, and generally the discussion is limited to the weather, or perhaps your favorite sports team or something innocuous like that.”
Hawkins said she tries to stick to talk of children, recipes and pets.
“Although the comments were not appropriate for the discussion in the area, they still, in my mind, don't show a violation of Chapter 163,” Eggers said.
Administrators remined the board that it had other options outside the formal complaint procedure, such as censure. Instead, they moved to reissue guidance to all county boards of elections instructing them on decorum, and pledged to reiterate professional standards at an upcoming statewide elections conference.
“My personal opinion is, this director is skating on thin ice and needs to read those instructions that Miss Hawkins spoke of. Very carefully,” Millen said.
The complaints came amid broader scrutiny of Thompson’s tenure as chair, which began in 2025 following a sweeping shift in control over election boards statewide. In the closing days of the 2024 legislative session, Republican lawmakers approved changes that removed the governor’s longstanding authority to appoint members to both the NCSBE and all 100 county boards. That authority was transferred to the state auditor, a Republican.
The change resulted in a rapid partisan realignment. By late June 2025, every county board and the state board itself had flipped from Democratic to Republican control. Thompson subsequently became chair of the Jackson County board under the new structure.
Later that year, Thompson played a central role in a controversial decision to eliminate the early voting site at Western Carolina University. The board voted to close the on-campus location despite data showing strong turnout.
Supporters of the move argued that maintaining multiple sites within close proximity was unnecessary and costly, while critics contended that the closure disproportionately affected younger voters and reduced access.
The decision ultimately required approval from the NCSBE, which upheld the county board’s action on a party-line vote. In the weeks that followed, students were forced to travel off campus to vote, in some cases walking significant distances to reach the nearest polling place.
Those events, combined with the newly filed complaints, have intensified attention on Thompson’s conduct and the broader implications of the legislature’s restructuring of election oversight in North Carolina.
