[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6122175,"mediaKeyId","2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c","parentId",2695597,"title","County Democrat Party chair raises concerns over misinformation and supports music at polling places","audioSeconds",143,"startMs",313000,"endMs",456000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c&start=313&end=456","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c/thumbnail_313000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6122175/North-Carolina/County-Democrat-Party-chair-raises-concerns-over-misinformation-and-supports-music-at-polling-places","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122175-690f277c0332c0f5fdc002f8f8e20128/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156770&Signature=SoMXBXpiwuqyMMUz2nWU85Zqk-Om4-OuZ9YLPLk9b3EBQzJ2CD2kxu8-1pJqEz8WKAnWLfLL9B7GHD-n0I82B~Cw2sufSE4s-V3VjeHGEAU5j0boyGewiBYAz7Sd0A7~bTw4EFbJfaOSdbKGJQlJymau0go6HdD~6yWt2-91wrLDbyJ9WJ10r7D4QSFAmBgkx-3SxdfqqqeKfrMlt2dKYGI~8LCecHiUXXRzwKjnXU9PzcU1QYZl-ArcUybKaq2xtQhIKtFUgnHT6ikX-z9BMSVPFmmyFbTzKkCPQMFavtdZXbazxmF8k-JefhKib5mFKfOl4XNo1OerrQS90L40BA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rockingham County, NC","date","2025-03-18T18:17:39Z","article","Jeff Webster, chairman of the Rockingham County Democratic Party, spoke during the meeting’s public-comment period on March 18, addressing two items raised at an earlier meeting: music at polling places and an alleged shooting incident.

\"Elections are traditionally a time for celebration and community,\" Webster said, urging support for music at polling places within existing guidelines. He recalled that at the last election a DJ took requests and attendees enjoyed songs ranging from patriotic music to Motown.

Webster also addressed a claim that an altercation occurred involving officers and a group of teenage boys reportedly shooting firearms from a car as they drove by a location he identified as Zion. He said a party member contacted Major Ellison at the Rietzville Police Department and \"we learned that there were no reports of shootings as was described.\" Webster characterized the spread of that account as potentially harmful misinformation and thanked the board for relocating polling places to better serve a growing population.

He concluded by saying the party would welcome discussions about returning polling locations to schools where space and parking are more readily available.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Elections Meeting 3/18/25","oneSentenceSummary","Jeff Webster, chair of the Rockingham County Democratic Party, told the Board of Elections that a reported shooting incident described at a prior meeting did not appear in police records and urged continued use of music at polling places; he also suggested returning polling locations to schools where feasible.","taxTitle","Rockingham County Board of Elections Meetings, Rockingham County, North Carolina","taxId",73551,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122179,"Elections director briefs board on litigation, party recognition and bills that would cut early voting",639,615000,1254000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c&start=615&end=1254","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c/thumbnail_615000.jpg","/articles/6122179/North-Carolina/Elections-director-briefs-board-on-litigation-party-recognition-and-bills-that-would-cut-early-voting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122179-4dfb05ed9f1bb3c127738a0220070695/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156770&Signature=IMFcnUjHbadh26lD4BSTzb4n37~1guuMgCD64QOXikuzUZSeMfF-n4UbAQctuwkteOlcelJIyPMzj7tDbtb~s69sgE1gfEBBsG9Z74brki8BRU7Uz6i0J9h2fZ0XKEUwxUzB5ZKSmc7y1izB9--GJSgbqWxsDr8UhAjJeVLGJs0YwvpEKA4Cs-C4miygPBpBNKqvKj2TD8GKuWIo7oKXxFWK41AtNhTpIjCircb6QjIrB0PkcH-js1OSdKzWH7HHCbruiJhvAzgjaRiGEcriSQJafs9EO24a4J9dj1CZeG2l3j9iy6Wq5x2MkUkh0Bl3LrUaaBgNosf659DyLz085Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paula Seemster, director of the Rockingham County Board of Elections, updated the board on several state-level legal and legislative developments that could affect election administration.

Seemster said a protest related to North Carolina Supreme Court Seat 6 will be heard by a three-judge panel of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She named the judges who will hear the case—John Tyson, Fred Gore and Toby Hampton—and said oral arguments will proceed before the panel. The board was told an earlier motion to have the full Court of Appeals hear the case was overruled.

Seemster reviewed pending legislation. She said House Bill 66, introduced in February, would reduce early voting to begin on the second Monday before an election and end the Saturday before Election Day, for a total of six early voting days; the bill had been referred to the House Rules, Calendar and Operations Committee as of the morning of March 18. Seemster also described House Bill 411, filed March 2025, which is similar to HB 66 but would apply to primaries and special elections and would cut early voting for those contests from 17 days to six; general-election early voting would remain unchanged under HB 411 if enacted.

On House Bill 127, Seemster said the bill would require the State Board of Elections to develop a sample voter-registration form for organized registration drives. She reported the bill has been subject to referral votes and remained in the House rules committee at the time of the meeting.

Seemster briefed the board on litigation and law changes tied to Senate Bill 382 and Session Law 2024-457. She said the session law, and a related lawsuit filed by former governors, argues that recent changes to the State Board of Elections and county boards conflict with the separation of powers in the North Carolina Constitution. Seemster said that under the new law the state auditor is now the appointing authority for the State Board of Elections and will appoint the county board chair; she summarized the statute as establishing a five-member State Board of Elections with staggered four-year terms and limits on party representation.

Seemster also said the state now recognizes three political parties under North Carolina General Statutes 160-396 and 160-397—the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party and the Republican Party—and that five other parties (Constitution, Green, No Labels, Justice for All, and We the People) will be removed from recognized-party status and that voter records will be updated automatically by state board staff in June under 8 NCAC 01.0107. She said that in the county, anyone attempting to register as one of the removed parties will be registered as unaffiliated or may select another recognized party.

Board members asked procedural questions about referrals and the meaning of \"stricken\" on committee actions; Member Hampton explained that a motion to refer had been struck down and therefore the bill remained in the original House Rules Committee. Seemster said she would keep the board updated as these items proceed through courts and the legislature. No formal board action was taken on these updates.","Rockingham County elections staff updated the board on a lawsuit over changes to the State Board of Elections, proposed bills to shorten early voting windows, changes to party recognition and other state-level items; no county action was taken.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122184,"Board of Elections approves moving New Bethel polling place to Bethany Elementary School",114,476000,590000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c&start=476&end=590","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2695597-59ad5b98fb8aa83cc1b7d501999dca9c/thumbnail_476000.jpg","/articles/6122184/North-Carolina/Board-of-Elections-approves-moving-New-Bethel-polling-place-to-Bethany-Elementary-School","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122184-488f2ae15644b2119b0a52a6b9563bd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156770&Signature=hDuLKGRnvOEIhY7F3-F68gbPU8hwlYgIkEFS7T-FDlwfpKRZYiq8OHYXub35nrKz5-3xl-w~UilA650BC2iOVcaZ0C7abaZ7EqfGSzu2Ewsqc2iiaiOjknRA~9a9sGx0Yk5sOMZiBL0K8Ur7xku2bisvR3mew0W6sUwksmF6Xw19wIHBcyjHpR0~iT4bjw5PDEtgTbRpPrRxghWUGsUbpvuuWK0Q1Nhy5AVVQQHcULHH2d32uLQS63yU0DM0HYwXJRH-YzKre5z5hG-2JEWoZmRGJ~e7OqYr5uLEIhzemfa4RFDu7VA1s7TTLN0SHI~iNupsmZvfDy6Hp84vqliCyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rockingham County Board of Elections voted on March 18 to move the New Bethel precinct voting location from Sharon Baptist Church to Bethany Elementary School.

Paula Seemster, director of the Rockingham County Board of Elections, told the board that Pastor Duncan of Sharon Baptist Church informed staff by email on Dec. 17, 2024, that the church could no longer provide its facilities for use as a voting site. Seemster said the board had permission from Bethany Elementary School to serve as a replacement and noted that the New Bethel precinct had previously been housed at Bethany Elementary School.

\"I would move that we accept the recommendations of the director and that we change that on our records and notify voters,\" a board member said when offering the motion. Member Sarah Totten seconded the motion. The motion was adopted by voice vote; the board chair announced the resolution was approved.

Seemster told the board the precinct lines will not be affected by the location change and asked for permission to proceed with changing the official voting location. She said staff would update county records and notify affected voters of the new location.

The board did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting minutes; the motion passed by voice vote, and no member registered opposition on the record. The board did not state a formal effective date beyond the approval to make Bethany Elementary School the voting location and to notify voters.

The board moved on to other business after approving the resolution.","The Rockingham County Board of Elections voted by voice to relocate the New Bethel precinct from Sharon Baptist Church to Bethany Elementary School after the church withdrew permission; the board directed staff to update records and notify voters.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County Democrat Party chair raises concerns over misinformation and supports music at polling places

Elections director briefs board on litigation, party recognition and bills that would cut early voting

Board of Elections approves moving New Bethel polling place to Bethany Elementary School