Informing Democracy conducted public record reviews of County Board of Elections members in North Carolina to identify whether any past behavior raises concerns about their commitment to fair vote counting and election certification. We looked for statements or actions that indicated election denial, attempts to subvert election administration or undermine faith in the system, belief in election conspiracies, and other anti-democracy sentiment.
Concerning findings do not mean an official will seek to undermine the next election, just as a lack of findings is not a guarantee an official will faithfully execute their duties. This research provides guidance on where attention should be focused to ensure that elections are administered properly according to the law. Notably, research showed that the vast majority of local election officials are dedicated public servants, committed to running free and fair elections.
Of North Carolina’s 498 County Board of Elections members whose news appearances, social media, and votes were reviewed, research identified concerning findings in the backgrounds of 51 officials, or roughly 10%.
We have identified concerning findings for two of the five Election Board members in these counties. While this is not enough to stop election certification at the county level, counties in this category have officials who pose concerns with regard to undermining faith in free and fair election administration this November: