Buncombe Board of Elections approves poll workers; staff reports on AV, hiring, ADA surveys and ballot proofing

The Buncombe County Board of Elections voted to approve the list of poll workers as presented and heard multiple office updates from Director Corinne Duncan on staffing, equipment and accessibility work ahead of upcoming elections.

Board action and vote At the meeting, a motion was made to "approve the poll workers as presented." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; no recorded roll‑call was provided in the minutes. Staff collected signatures following the vote.

Staff updates Director Corinne Duncan briefed the board on several operational items: - Ballot proofing: Staff completed three rounds of ballot proofing with vendor, county and state review. Sample ballots for the Weaverville/Woodfin Water and Sewer District were expected the following week. - Machine testing: Elections staff will perform machine testing ahead of voter‑facing testing; the board calendar lists October 7 for additional testing steps. - Hiring: Two positions remain open (an absentee clerk position and another staff vacancy); one offer has been made for a clerk‑to‑the‑board role and the absentee position remains posted. - AV and boardroom: AV installation for the 35 Woodfin boardroom is scheduled for the week of Sept. 15; staff said they had secured an interim space for meetings while installation and training occur. - ADA precinct surveys and voting agreements: Staff reported completing ADA inspections and voting agreements for 75 of 80 precincts. Five precincts remain unresolved: staff said two had verbal agreements pending signatures, three required additional follow-up. Staff explained several location changes were driven by damage from Hurricane Helene and decisions by private facilities and schools.

Director Duncan also noted outreach plans for National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 16, coordinated with county libraries and media partners working on voter‑education videos.

Why it matters: The poll‑worker approval moves staffing plans forward for upcoming municipal and county elections, while the operational updates outline remaining work — equipment testing, precinct access and ADA compliance — that affect voters’ ability to cast ballots.

Ending: Staff will continue precinct follow‑up for the five unresolved sites, finalize machine testing and complete AV training for the 35 Woodfin boardroom. The board did not take additional formal votes on hiring or precinct locations at the meeting.