Michael Aycock Was A Member Of The 2024 Bladen County Board Of Elections. [Bladen County Board of Elections, accessed 6/6/24]
Michael Aycock Was A Republican. [North Carolina State Board of Elections County Board of Elections Members List, updated 11/1/23]
2019: Michael Aycock Voted Against A Plan To Allow Sunday Voting Before The State’s Primary. "The county Board of Elections, to no surprise, at Wednesday meeting could not reach agreement on the issue for the early voting associated with the March 3 primary. Because the five-member panel of three Republicans and two Democrats were not unanimous, the state Board of Elections will make the decision for the county. [...] The board has two plans submitted to the state for early voting in the primary. The first would including Sunday voting from 1 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 23. The second does not include those dates. [...] Voting for the plan to include Sunday voting were Democrats Louella Thompson, the chairwoman, Deborah Belle and Patsy Sheppard. Against were Republican members Emery White and Michael Aycock.” [Bladen Journal, 12/6/19]
2020: Michael Aycock Opposed Sunday Voting, Instead Drawing Up A Plan To Expand Voting Hours On Saturdays. “Democrats Thompson, Belle and Sheppard were successful -- and are now 2-for-2 -- getting Sunday voting included for just the second time in county history. Republicans Aycock and White were adamantly against it and had drawn up a plan with more hours on Saturdays. Karen Brinson Bell, the director for the state Board of Elections, had issued instruction for county boards to have at least 10 hours available on the weekends during early voting. The five-member state board settled any decisions for counties that were not unanimous, and not surprisingly placed Sunday voting in more than a dozen counties.” [Bladen Journal, 1/2/20]
2022: After Certain Bladen County Polling Sites Did Not Have A Republican Among Their Three Election Judges, Michael Aycock Said, “I Still Feel That Voters In Bladen County Will Have Concerns About The Integrity Of The Election.” “A dispute brought forth by the Republican members of the Bladen County Board of Elections over a concern that some polling sites in the county did not have a Republican among the three judges was settled Tuesday. According to state statutes, there should be at least one Democrat and one Republican judge at each polling site during the election, unless one of the political parties does not submit a name for nomination. In that case, all three judges may be from the same party. That was the determination of both the attorney for the State Board of Elections and the Johnson & Johnson law firm, which represents the local elections board. ‘I still feel that voters in Bladen County will have concerns about the integrity of the election,’ said Michael Aycock, a Republican member of the local board. ‘It won't be the first time,’ retorted Louella Thompson, a Democrat member and chair of the board.” [Bladen Journal, 3/8/22]
Bladen Journal: “There Should Be At Least One Democrat And One Republican Judge At Each Polling Site During The Election, Unless One Of The Political Parties Does Not Submit A Name For Nomination. In That Case, All Three Judges May Be From The Same Party.” “A dispute brought forth by the Republican members of the Bladen County Board of Elections over a concern that some polling sites in the county did not have a Republican among the three judges was settled Tuesday. According to state statutes, there should be at least one Democrat and one Republican judge at each polling site during the election, unless one of the political parties does not submit a name for nomination. In that case, all three judges may be from the same party. That was the determination of both the attorney for the State Board of Elections and the Johnson & Johnson law firm, which represents the local elections board. ‘I still feel that voters in Bladen County will have concerns about the integrity of the election,’ said Michael Aycock, a Republican member of the local board. ‘It won't be the first time,’ retorted Louella Thompson, a Democrat member and chair of the board.” [Bladen Journal, 3/8/22]
Michael Aycock Was Listed As A Person With “Knowledge Related To The Charges Filed” On Complaints Against The Bladen County Board Of Elections’ Two Democrats For Their Social Media Posts. “For the second time in two months, two Democrats on the Bladen County Board of Elections have been named in complaints filed with the state board. A date for the preliminary consideration hearing has not been set. Patrick Gannon, a spokesman for the state board staff, on Monday confirmed receipt of the complaints filed by Jane Pait of White Oak. [...] Pait says the posts violate state statute because they cross the boundary of allowable individual expression, and are intended for public distribution. Sheppard is cited by Pait for her exchanges with other commenters. In one back-and-forth, there is a point at which Sheppard writes, ‘You certainly get upset when I point out that Trump is a racist, sexing, lying deviant. As the ideal Christian you think yourself to be, I don't know why the truth offends and upsets you so much.’ [...] Republican Michael Aycock joined the board Aug. 13. He and Schaeffer are listed on Pait's complaints in the section for ‘names and addresses of persons who have knowledge related to the charges filed.’ Aycock was also listed on Schaeffer's complaints; he did not participate on the conference call.” [Bladen Journal, 12/9/19]