Become an Observer of County Boards of Election Meetings in North Carolina

In the U.S., states are responsible for operating elections with limited oversight by the federal government. In North Carolina, the State Board of Elections (SBE) is the agency that administers our elections. The individual counties fund and operate all elections. State lawmakers approve the laws that govern elections, and the SBE administers those laws by setting policies and procedures for the county board of elections (CBOEs) to follow so that every voter in the state has the same opportunity to vote. Understanding the voting process is critical to help voters access the voting system, follow the law in NC, and understand how individual votes are translated into election results.

The League of Women Voters believes voters should play a critical role in democracy, and that role begins with the fundamental act of voting.

Through our CBOE Monitoring Project, we empower voters to learn more about the voting process in each county of NC. LVW observers learn about all aspects of the voting process to educate community members and provide opportunities to advocate for improved access and confidence in our elections.

REPORTING FORM

AUG. 14 ZOOM TRAINING RECORDING

NOV. 3 ZOOM TRAINING ABOUT CANVASS PROCESS

2024 Absentee Ballot Review Guidance
Here are the steps.

1. Find a County Board of Elections meeting near you to attend as an observer. Remember, it’s often the smaller counties neighboring yours that are most in need of your time.

View the County Board of Election sites using a map from NCSBE.

View our list of meeting schedules for the boards of elections in NC’s 100 counties, in alphabetical order by county.

Note: There is significant variation in CBOE meetings, although all meetings must be open to the public. Some counties have regularly scheduled monthly meetings. Some only meet when required to conduct business ordered by the law (absentee ballot reviews, canvass, appointment to precincts) or the county board of commissioners (budget determination). Some only meet in person and some have provisions for virtual or remote attendance by the public.

Learn how that county conducts business by checking the CBOE website or calling the office to confirm meeting times and locations. Since our goal is to help you develop a relationship with both the CBOE staff and board members, setting up regular lines of communication can be helpful.

2. Get ready for the meeting. Be sure to check out the tools listed under “Resources” below, including our tips. We encourage you to take the reporting form with you. If you know what you're looking for while you're observing the meeting, it will make it easier to submit your report. Questions? Please reach out to us at communications [at] lwvnc.org.

3. After the meeting, submit your report using this easy-to-use form. Here are a few examples of excerpts from reports we received following the March 2024 statewide primary. We would love as much detail as possible.

4. Make plans to attend your next meeting! Return to step 1 and repeat all the steps! Recruit friends to do this work by sharing this page and the various resources on it.

"Establishing relationships with the BOE Director and Vice Director is an important part of being an observer. At first, there might be some apprehension about why you are there and what the League's mission is. Once that relationship is established, they are more open and often provide upfront information about certain events, agenda items, etc. Getting to know the BOE Board members is important, too, as you start to understand individual priorities and why they might disagree on certain items. And probably most important is that you learn how elections are conducted and the safeguards put in place, making you smarter about the integrity of our election system as well as what challenges we face." - League member and observer Sue Engelhardt

"Observing the Boards of Election in my county and an adjacent county deepens my understanding of the process and helps me be a more knowledgeable citizen and poll worker. It also helps tremendously with questions we get during registration events and at the polls. People ask some pretty sophisticated questions."
– League member and observer Cheryl Williams