ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — With absentee ballots already in the hands of thousands of Buncombe County voters, election officials are reminding voters to carefully follow the instructions, especially when it comes to sealing and returning their ballots.
The Buncombe County Board of Elections spent much of its Tuesday meeting reviewing new state procedures for handling problems with absentee ballots, testing voting machines and preparing for the Nov. 3 general election.
The changes do not change the basic process for casting an absentee ballot. Instead, they change how election staff and the board handle certain mistakes or irregularities after a ballot is returned.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections updated its guidance Sept. 4 for dealing with deficiencies and irregularities involving absentee ballot envelopes. The state says the procedures are intended to give voters an opportunity to correct certain problems while establishing uniform procedures for county boards.
Some envelope mistakes now require action
One of the changes discussed Tuesday involves a ballot-container envelope that appears to have been opened and resealed while the outer return envelope remains sealed.
Under the new procedure, the voter must be contacted and given an opportunity to respond.
If the voter says they did not open and reseal the envelope, the ballot can be spoiled and a replacement ballot issued if there is enough time.
If the voter confirms that they sealed the envelope that way, the voter can provide the required attestation. The board then considers that attestation as part of the ballot approval process.
A completely unsealed ballot-container envelope received through the mail is handled differently. Staff will spoil the ballot and begin the process of issuing a replacement.
If a voter brings an unsealed ballot to the elections office or an early voting site, however, the voter can seal the envelope in the presence of election staff.
Board members noted that some of these procedures represent a change from how similar situations had been handled in the past.
Another change involves a mismatch between the number on the ballot and the number on the return envelope.
That can happen, for example, if two people accidentally switch ballots.
Under the new procedure, staff will document the problem, contact the voter and record the voter’s response. Depending on the circumstances, the voter can request a replacement ballot or confirm that the ballot was the one they voted. The documentation then goes to the board as part of the review process.
The board plans to rescind an existing local resolution dealing with some of those situations and adopt a new resolution at its Sept. 29 meeting.
Staff also told the board that Oct. 30 — the Friday before Election Day — is the last day a ballot with a non-curable problem can be identified in time for staff to spoil it and mail a replacement. The timing is intended to give the voter enough time to receive and return a replacement ballot.
State election officials have urged absentee voters to carefully read and follow the instructions included with their ballot packages.
The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election is 5 p.m. Oct. 9. Same-day registration will be available during the early voting period, which runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31, but county officials said registering ahead of time is faster.
More than 3,000 absentee ballots already sent
As of Tuesday morning, Buncombe County had sent 3,150 absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election.
That included:
- 2,655 civilian ballots
- 20 military ballots
- 475 overseas ballots
Of those, 176 had been returned — 74 civilian, four military and 98 overseas.
North Carolina began sending absentee ballots for the general election Sept. 4.
The county also has completed 14 visits through its multi-party assistance team, which helps voters at facilities such as nursing homes and other residential settings. Another 33 visits are scheduled over the next month.
Voting machines undergoing testing
The county also has begun its logic-and-accuracy testing of voting equipment at its elections warehouse at 50 Coxe Ave.
An elections staff member overseeing the testing told the board that every machine scheduled for an early voting site or Election Day polling place is tested.
The process checks every ballot style, candidate and contest that a machine could encounter at its assigned location.
The testing includes the county’s ExpressVote ballot-marking devices as well as tabulators.
The testing is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staff said it was expected to continue through the week and into the following week if necessary.
So far, staff reported no problems.
Officials said one type of problem that can arise is an ExpressVote requiring a reset or power cycle. Testing can also catch issues such as a machine improperly pronouncing a candidate’s name through its accessibility features.
The state board requires counties to test voting equipment before each election.
Board members want the public to better understand the testing
The machine testing also raised a different question: How can the public actually understand what it is watching?
One board member said that while the public is invited to watch the testing, it can be difficult for an observer to understand what is happening without an explanation of the procedures.
The board member asked whether there is a checklist showing which machines have been tested, who performed the testing and whether machines are sealed afterward.
The member also asked about an audit trail showing the testing results.
Corinne Duncan, executive director of the elections office, said staff could do a better job explaining the process and suggested developing a video or other orientation for observers.
Staff said records of the testing are maintained and agreed that those records could be presented to the board during its own testing of the equipment.
Board members also questioned how backup Election Day tabulators are prepared in case a machine at a precinct fails.
Staff explained that the software for each precinct is tested and can be loaded onto a backup machine, but one board member wanted to know when the physical backup machines themselves are tested.
Staff said they would get an answer.
The board conducts its own testing separately from the staff testing. Staff test every machine, while the board tests a sample of machines — about 10 percent — and reviews the results.
Board sets Nov. 3 absentee counting time
The board also approved a resolution setting 2 p.m. Nov. 3 as the time it will meet at the elections office at 35 Woodfin St. to count military, overseas and civilian absentee ballots, as well as early voting ballots.
The resolution incorporates early voting ballots into that counting session.
Election officials said the earlier start time will make it easier to process ballots before the end of Election Day rather than waiting until the evening.
The resolution was approved unanimously.
County already looking ahead to 2028
Even as preparations continue for November, the elections office is beginning to think about the 2028 presidential election.
Deputy Director Neggy Fox told the board the county is considering whether it may need a mobile voting unit or temporary office space to supplement early voting locations.
A rented RV could cost about $8,000 a week, staff said, but would have only two check-in stations compared with the four or five stations normally used at an early voting site.
A temporary mobile office trailer was estimated at nearly $40,000 for a month, including delivery, taxes and setup, although additional costs could be involved.
Board members said they would prefer to identify existing publicly owned or community spaces whenever possible but favored putting money in the budget as a contingency while the county continues looking for sites.
The discussion was partly shaped by Tropical Storm Helene.
The county originally had 14 early voting sites selected during the disaster but ultimately operated 10, and staff said those sites were extremely busy.
Officials said having mobile units available could provide additional capacity during a future emergency.
The elections office also plans to talk with county and city officials about potential publicly owned space.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at 35 Woodfin St.