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Dare County elections staff complete testing, approve two absentee ballots and set training and deadlines
Summary
Dare County election officials reported completion of logic-and-accuracy testing, a mock import of results, and approved two absentee ballots (one military, one overseas). Staff gave dates for early voting, training sessions and the voter registration deadline.
Dare County elections staff told the board they completed logic-and-accuracy testing and a mock election ahead of the November vote, and the board reviewed and approved two absentee ballots at the meeting.
The elections director reported that logic-and-accuracy testing was completed on Sept. 26 with bipartisan staff and a state observer present. “We completed the logic and accuracy testing successfully on September 26,” the director said, noting staff, board member Karen Blows, state representative Tia Redick and precinct official Tom Moran attended. Staff also performed imports of election results on Oct. 2 and conducted a mock election to upload and verify results.
The board reviewed two ballots received through the military/overseas portal — one military ballot and one overseas ballot — which had been duplicated by a bipartisan team of poll workers for comparison. The packets presented to the board included the original submitted image, the workers’ waiver and affirmation forms and the duplicated ballot. A board member moved to approve the two reviewed absentee ballots; the motion was seconded and the board voted to approve them.
Staff reported absentee ballots began mailing Oct. 3 and that, as of the meeting, 28 absentee ballots had been sent (a mix of civilian, military and overseas) and two had been returned (one military, one overseas). The director also reported six updated voter registrations with ID information had been returned following the state’s registration-repair mailing.
The director gave dates: the voter registration deadline is Oct. 10 at 5 p.m.; early voting begins Oct. 16; precinct official training sessions will be held Oct. 8 and a larger training on Oct. 9 (training sessions are not open to the public); and the board’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17 at 3 p.m., during which absentee ballots will again be considered. The board approved the revised minutes of its Sept. 16 meeting and the meeting agenda earlier in the session, and later voted to adjourn at 3:49 p.m.
During the ballot review, staff demonstrated opening the absentee tabulator and printing the zero tape that shows the machine’s public count before ballots are inserted. The director said the absentee tabulator is a cumulative machine that serves all precincts for absentee ballots and that the printed zero tape is folded and retained per procedure.
No contested results or procedural irregularities were reported at the meeting.
