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North Carolina elections officials call do-over election after local poll worker wrongly claimed a candidate had died

The North Carolina State Board of Elections unanimously ordered a new Dobson town commissioner race to be held in March.

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Early voting gets underway in North Carolina for May 17 primary elections
By
Bryan Anderson
, WRAL state government reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Monday unanimously decided to call a do-over election for a local race in Surry County after a poll worker reportedly told at least one voter that one of the candidates running was dead, despite the person actually being alive.

“It is unfortunate what had happened and is certainly through no malice or ill will of anybody at the county,” said Damon Circosta, chairman of the state elections board. “But I think it goes to show that when issues arise, there’s procedures we have in which to remedy them and that’s where we are now.”

The new Dobson town commissioner contest is scheduled to be held on March 7 between J. Wayne Atkins, Walter White and John Jonczak, who placed first, second and third respectively in the November election.

According to the state elections board, a poll worker had wrongly told one or more voters that Jonczak was dead when in fact another candidate — Sharon Gates-Hodges — had died. Regardless, poll workers sharing such information is prohibited. Gates-Hodges appeared on the November ballot, but received the fewest votes.

Atkins, White and Jonczak will appear on the March ballot. The two highest vote-getters would then serve in office. During the November election, 619 ballots were cast in the commissioner’s race. Atkins had bested White by 17 votes and White had topped Jonczak by eight votes.

Board requests more funding

Meanwhile, state elections officials are asking Congress for more money to help administer elections. In a letter to North Carolina congressional members, NCSBE Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell requested the federal lawmakers take action to provide the state board and others in the nation with more money.

The letter, first reported by Axios, says the state elections board has seen flat appropriations at the state level and significantly less federal funds in recent years. Bell wrote that the state board has had to cut staff in the past two years as a result, downsizing from 91 employees to 65 since December 2020 — a 29% reduction.

Bell urged Congress to approve Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Election Security grant funds in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill to address the staffing shortages and increased demands, including a sizable uptick in public records act requests.

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