Election officials prepare for new rules
Voting is going to look a bit different in North Carolina this year thanks to new partisan observers who will be eyeing voters as they cast ballots when in-person early voting kicks off in October. The new observers are touted as a way to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
Others, however — me among them — see it as totally unnecessary and potentially disruptive.
Between now and Election Day on Nov. 5, we’ll be doing a lot of news reporting about political candidates and their views. That’s what newspapers do, and I hope you’ll find that information useful. On our opinion pages, you’ll get the opportunity to read what your neighbors in this region have to say about the various candidates (although it seems most of the letters we are receiving are laser-focused on the presidential race at the expense of all the other races on the ballot).
I’m also laser focused, but my thoughts are more on this whole election integrity issue (or non-issue, if you will). I have this nightmare that after Nov. 5 there will be outrageous accusations regarding election results and that a system that is integral to the survival of this country will be maligned by politicians with nefarious purposes in mind. A few weeks ago I wrote in this space about polling that reveals that many citizens do not have confidence that election results will be accurate. This is still the case after more than 60 cases following the 2020 election were investigated and not a single case of widespread voter fraud was found.
So what can be done? It will take lots of level-headed partisans to make sure this election goes smoothly, so it was gratifying to see Macon County election officials and law enforcement hold a press conference two weeks ago in an effort to ensure voters that officials there are taking specific steps in hopes that citizens will have full confidence in the outcome of the upcoming vote.
Sheriff Brent Holbrooks, Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault and other officials addressed political sign laws, voter intimidation and absentee ballot misinformation during the press conference.
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Thibault said new laws concerning election observers may surprise some voters, but the law is very clear on what these political party designees are and aren’t allowed to do. New state laws allow each political party to have up to two poll observers at each precinct.
“Some of the rules on the observers have changed, and that kind of scares me because if I go to vote, I wouldn’t want someone standing over my shoulder watching me vote,” Thibault said of the poll observers. “They’re now allowed to walk amongst themselves inside those polling places. They’re not to stand over us and see information that they’re not supposed to see, but they have the right, now, to walk around and get copies of AVR forms, that’s the law.”
Automatic Voter Registration occurs when citizens interact with other state agencies, particularly when getting driver’s licenses renewed. That ability of political parties to question voter registration status could cause some disruptions during the voting process, but again, hopefully those problems will be minimized because officials like those in Macon County and preparing long before Election Day.
Voter ID requirements are also in place in North Carolina. To see what forms of ID are allowable, visit the State Board of Elections website to make sure you are ready for Election Day. Voter ID requirements have become a partisan issue, but the best way to keep this issue out of the news is for voters to be prepared as best they can before Election Day.
Although there are those who just want to win at all costs, most people just want to have confidence in the political process.
Haywood County Board of Elections Director Robert Inman told The Smoky Mountain News he’s confident that outcomes will be accurate.
“We all know that there are some people, because we hear it every day, who are always suggesting that there’s some inaccuracy, and of course, I don’t believe any of that to be true at all ... We have always had an accurate count, a tabulation at the end of our process.”
Voters need to know things will look different this year, but kudos to those local election officials throughout this region who are working now, before Nov. 5, to make sure Election Day goes smoothly and that we can have confidence in the reported outcomes.
(Smoky Mountain News Publisher Scott McLeod can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
