March 18, 2024 – We want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work of our County Board of Elections Observer Corps and invite members to join the Corps and help with this important election activity.
Since Feb. 1, 2024, volunteers have submitted 136 reports, sharing what they witnessed at public Board of Elections meetings in 26 North Carolina counties: Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Dare, Durham, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Henderson, Iredell, Johnston, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Moore, New Hanover, Orange, Perquimans, Scotland, Transylvania, Union, and Wake.
These reports covered regular meetings as well as the Canvass process – which occurs in the days immediately following an election and determines that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, culminating in the authentication of the official election results.
We are so grateful to everyone who has dedicated their time to this important task – for the 2024 primary and beyond.
“Observing the Boards of Election in my county and in an adjacent county deepens my understanding of the process and helps me be a more knowledgeable citizen and poll worker,” says League member and observer Cheryl Williams. “It also helps tremendously with questions we get during registration events and at the polls. People ask some pretty sophisticated questions.”
“Many people are looking for a way to get involved in protecting our right to vote and supporting the basic infrastructure of our elections,” says LWVNC Vice President Marian Lewin. “Observing these meetings is an essential way to help. Our observers tell us over and over again that participating in these meetings helps them have confidence in elections because they gain understanding – and they can then share that wisdom with others.”
We’d love to cover even more counties in North Carolina – especially as we get closer to the extremely important general election in November. If you live in a county that is already being covered by our Observer Corps, perhaps you can consider helping out in an adjacent county.
Once you identify a county near you that needs an observer, head to the county Board of Elections website or call the county Board of Elections to learn the exact meeting schedule. Then, follow these instructions on our website – and be sure you take a look at our reporting form and familiarize yourself with it before you go. If you know what you're looking for while you're observing the meeting, it will make it easier to submit your report. After the meeting, submit your report using this easy-to-use form.
Then, make plans to attend your next meeting – and repeat the process!
Questions? Reach out to us at communications [at] lwvnc.org.
