[{"_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",6234449,"mediaKeyId","3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9","parentId",3411231,"title","Resident tells Rockingham elections board two gunshots were fired at Zion Baptist precinct; asks for alternate site","audioSeconds",74,"startMs",796000,"endMs",870000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9&start=796&end=870","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9/thumbnail_796000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6234449/North-Carolina/Resident-tells-Rockingham-elections-board-two-gunshots-were-fired-at-Zion-Baptist-precinct-asks-for-alternate-site","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234449-e2c09679921bbdf3bc257c8f0ef870bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773786984&Signature=dhD86BgEInjtAEDJLgQC8i9dsduyflBq0rOHcDJog~s9XT5wjb9aqDiQxNhbh8sD18BX5inh9XYcDYV~yixXofGm~v03VzGG2BaMMcYLbirHTxTOhifGam9Yy06fBoGkQXhf1p67M3dg7jSTN9W9SdYSpsiWuqGo9kepzVIBHxr7jft6aQ~SZ-1T53QDWmSEey06xfrFQWEDAN~yi0qsLudfhPwE7hzE8JulNjdu89aCeZGS0LQ84FEcAOtX0No5O-KzUrUyARP2zhXU0Q8d9hXier7cEfbrtQWxKK2YjWCde-BuTuxzDHqkO84Sg3TOmVwqepiyjJa6vkzFVefrHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rockingham County, NC","date","2025-05-21T00:23:19.61Z","article","Diane Parnell, a Reidsville resident, told the Rockingham County Board of Elections during the public comment period on May 20, 2025, that “shots fired” occurred at the Zion Baptist precinct on two occasions and asked the board to look for an alternate polling place.

Parnell said she provided the board with proof of the incidents and said the events happened twice. “We had a member here at that time that had experienced those shots fired,” she said during her three-minute public comment slot.

Her remarks were made during the public comment portion of the board’s regular meeting; the transcript records no motion or vote to change Zion Baptist as a polling location at that meeting. The board opened the floor for public comment and limited each speaker to three minutes.

Paula (the elections director) and board members heard Parnell’s request during the meeting; the record shows the item was presented as public comment only. The transcript does not record any subsequent discussion, directive to staff, or formal action to evaluate or relocate the precinct during that session.

Because the statement was delivered as public comment and no formal action appears in the record, the board’s next steps — whether staff will investigate the incidents, consult law enforcement or bring a relocation proposal back to the board — were not specified in the transcript.

Members of the public with documentation or concerns about polling place safety were shown how to provide materials: Parnell offered a handout to the board through staff during her remarks.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rockingham County Board of Elections | May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Diane Parnell, a Reidsville resident, told the Rockingham County Board of Elections during the public comment period on May 20, 2025, that shots were fired near the Zion Baptist polling place on two occasions and asked the board to consider an alternate site.","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},6234439,"Rockingham elections office gets EAC honorable mention for contingency planning; budget packet shows one staffing change",136,1511000,1647000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9&start=1511&end=1647","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9/thumbnail_1511000.jpg","/articles/6234439/North-Carolina/Rockingham-elections-office-gets-EAC-honorable-mention-for-contingency-planning-budget-packet-shows-one-staffing-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234439-8194f320726ad9253c629f8371c7869c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773786984&Signature=Hf4NoVa71b7PbfEcfoR-kzYOvxM7gQ26CGypMrEUWKmPYozW2xLnpvHlqEDIhmUXhxvqCNLvJvPsNEuciqm3ZgOdClnpsAF-B-uwAkv5JEElOcEYGhVNBsYvcMYWpKkrshs-NB7twFBPr8fo0UMF55gVtErykHbw0~TBXcABNJ6nTxEXjSzadbD3nEstmOLxZOXm~knAHMkV854x0ZEUn2UFNeGdNUbqL6CqPRd4sVWi4LwZTrFQE-VX36wM-BOK-W83ZObm5bfAEs894tilS~Bns~Nlem22MDBfJDedSgC9LflSngq~-wwL2oToSXIuoiCv4Q6uLXmcP--XrHynRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rockingham County Board of Elections reviewed the manager’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and learned the office received an honorable mention from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Clearinghouse Awards for contingency planning and emergency response.

Paula told the board the managers recommended budget for 2025–26 had been presented to the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners and that one change had been made to the elections budget before the packet: the training budget was adjusted by eliminating an IT staff person for the conference amount. The board was invited to the county budget sessions beginning Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the same meeting room; the budget meeting is an open meeting.

Paula said Rockingham County’s entry in the EAC’s 2024 Clearinghouse Awards earned an honorable mention in the contingency planning category for small and medium jurisdictions. She thanked partner agencies — emergency management, 911, the sheriff’s office, local fire departments and police departments — and named Rodney Cates for organizing coordination. A board member asked about who else from North Carolina received recognition; Paula said several larger counties received awards and other counties, including Durham, received honorable mention.

A board member praised Paula and her staff for developing and orchestrating the emergency plan, saying, “We do need to recognize Paula and her group who actually came up with the thoughts, with the ideas, and came up with the plan, and orchestrated it.” Paula responded that the safe election was reward enough.

No budget vote was recorded at the meeting, and the EAC recognition was an informational item. The board subsequently moved into a closed session citing NCGS 143-318.11(a)(6) and NCGS 143-318.11(a)(1) for personnel and privileged/confidential information, and then voted to adjourn at 11:21 a.m.","At the May 20, 2025 meeting the board reviewed the manager's recommended fiscal 2025–26 budget for the Board of Elections, which included one change to training funds, and heard that the county office received an honorable mention from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for contingency planning and emergency response in 2024.",{"_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},6234444,"Rockingham elections director briefs board on multiple state bills, state board appointments and court actions",531,887000,1418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9&start=887&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411231-d84f75dd884cc527089650962846ccc9/thumbnail_887000.jpg","/articles/6234444/North-Carolina/Rockingham-elections-director-briefs-board-on-multiple-state-bills-state-board-appointments-and-court-actions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234444-c9f66233acc9f1c039942c76d80dfa44/orig.mp4?Expires=1773786984&Signature=R~uylcKFAYNlROS-14qZw6WLHQIj177IvwypB3cpZZnjP17I4J-0RfI22u9tUFFZt2uYGrSy0DUYVQMwmibrVvs0RxKQpkI5TBKLvmkLFsMfISBPTMPpNph7smbVvMsHYzgpj1uuLKwn1RqpTbQd6PrKYpz1XnYAlYGljKQ-zFBYlpOcjWNYMTkXVSveucjNPLgH15qPYV1EHHnj2qGyI344q4wLvoVK0cE14tdE5CV1S7j-tWI1gQWG9rkVmhCgEe4MnaCkuUjAa9bZd0NM-yBmHOd5emdvwlCtVgEQAHb-DI2YXAVc8KG3swpBtkApwlF33KU9Jac-pmsJQCvgBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paula, the Rockingham County elections director, briefed the board on several pending North Carolina bills and recent statewide changes on May 20, 2025.

Paula told the board House Bill 66, introduced in February, would reduce the number of early voting days so early voting would begin on the second Monday before Election Day and run through the Saturday before Election Day for a total of six early-voting days; as of the meeting, no further action had been taken on the bill.

She said House Bill 127 would require the State Board of Elections to develop a sample voter registration form for organized registration drives; the sample would display required fields but would not provide fillable spaces and would not replace the official voter registration form. Paula explained drives would need to funnel people to legitimate registration sources — libraries, the DMV, or the county office — to submit completed, official forms.

Paula described House Bill 580 as a bill introduced in March to make various election-law changes recommended by the State Board of Elections; it had most recently been referred to the Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House committee and had not advanced further by the meeting date.

On statewide appointments and court actions, Paula summarized session law tied to Senate Bill 382 (session law 2024-457 in the board packet): under that law the state auditor became the appointing authority for the State Board of Elections and for county board chairs; the State Board of Elections was to consist of five registered voters with staggered four-year terms and limits on party composition. She said five new state board members were sworn in on May 1, 2025, and the new state board executive director, Samuel Hayes, was sworn in on May 15, 2025. Paula also reported that the state’s appellate process was ongoing: the governor had appealed the Court of Appeals’ decision to the state Supreme Court.

Paula answered questions about committee referrals and timelines; a board member asked which committee HB66 had been referred to and Paula said Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House. Another board member characterized that committee as where “many of them go to die.”

Paula also reported the State Board had been updating county voter files to convert minor parties that did not meet statutory performance thresholds to unaffiliated status and said the State Board expected to complete that work by May 28, 2025. She said she would confirm whether affected voters would receive individual notice and that the county office had not been instructed to perform that cleanup itself as of the meeting.

All items in the briefing were informational; the transcript does not record any motions or votes by the Rockingham County Board of Elections to endorse or oppose the bills or to change local procedures at that meeting.","At the May 20, 2025 meeting the elections director updated the Rockingham County Board of Elections on pending and enacted state-level changes and bills affecting elections, including House Bills 66, 127 and 580, session law arising from Senate Bill 382 and recent court rulings and appointments to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.","actionData","errors"]

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Resident tells Rockingham elections board two gunshots were fired at Zion Baptist precinct; asks for alternate site

Rockingham elections office gets EAC honorable mention for contingency planning; budget packet shows one staffing change

Rockingham elections director briefs board on multiple state bills, state board appointments and court actions