The State Board of Elections is meeting Thursday to settle partisan disputes over early voting. Election boards in 20 of North Carolina's 100 counties couldn't reach an agreement over early voting schedules, which pushed the ultimate decision to the state level.
Many of the disagreements involve Sunday voting, and the state board is largely siding with Republicans to oppose early voting on Sundays.
Republican elections board member Four Eggers says he thinks poll workers should get a break on Sundays.
"Sunday generally is seen as a day of rest by many and is an important time for family for those who observe religious activities and," Eggers said. "I have generally and consistently not supported voting on Sunday."
Some local officials say they've heard from poll workers who want Sundays off, particularly in areas where Sunday turnout has historically been low.
"The poll workers, in my conversations with staff, have expressed that they do not want to work on Sunday, even if it's a limited 1 (p.m.) to 5 or something along those lines," said Christopher Duggan, an elections board member from Union County.
Democrats say Sunday hours help voters who work during the week, and they note that the hours are popular with some Black churches who hold "souls to the polls" events after services.
"When you look at the racial breakdown in some counties, Sunday voting is used more heavily by Black folks, and in some counties it isn't," said Siobhan Millen, a Democrat on the State Board of Elections. "There's uptake from everybody, so I think getting rid of Sunday voting really hurts working families."
Other disagreements involve the locations used as early voting sites. In counties like Granville and Cumberland, Democrats are pushing for more sites in left-leaning areas, while Republicans want sites in conservative areas. In Guilford, Republicans are opposed to on-campus voting sites at UNC-Greensboro and N.C. A&T State University. And in Jackson County, the disagreement centers on an on-campus site at Western Carolina University.
A frequent topic during Thursday's meeting was Dallas Woodhouse, the longtime Republican Party operative who until recently worked as an elections liaison for State Auditor Dave Boliek. Democrats on the state board questioned Republican county board members about conversations they'd had with Woodhouse where he made recommendations about early voting schedules.
Lee County elections board member Jay DeLancy described a phone call he received from Woodhouse. He said he'd been under the impression that Sunday voting was required by court decisions until Woodhouse told him otherwise. He says Woodhouse suggested that Lee County eliminate Sunday voting and instead add some Saturday hours.
But Francis de Luca, the Republican chairman of the state board, dismissed the focus on Woodhouse's involvement.
“I hope we never hear the name Dallas Woodhouse in here again,” board chairman Francis de Luca said. “He has nothing to do with any of this anymore. He doesn’t work for this board. He is a private citizen who can do anything he wants.”
Lee County was one of a few compromises Thursday when the State Board of Elections voted unanimously, opting for a voting schedule with one Sunday in Lee.
Early voting across the state will begin on Oct. 15 and run through Oct. 31. De Luca argued that regardless of what the state board decides in the disputed counties, this year will bring more early voting hours overall than previous midterm elections.
Here’s what the elections board decided for some of the 20 counties it's reviewed so far:
- Anson: Democrats sought the addition of evening and weekend hours, but the State Board of Elections upheld the Republican proposal – a single location that closes at 5 p.m. and is only open on the final Saturday of the early voting period. But the state board encouraged local board members to reconsider the plan and try to add more hours beyond the bare minimum.
- Craven, Greene, Wayne and Harnett: The board voted along party lines to approve the GOP plan for those counties, with does not include any Sunday voting.
- Rowan: The state board voted to compromise here by adding a four-hour voting period on Sunday, Oct. 25.
- Rockingham: Another party-line vote upheld the Republican plan, which includes a Saturday early voting day instead of the Sunday preferred by Democrats. Eggers said the longer Saturday hours provide “more than ample opportunity to vote.”
