Board hears request for outreach position; county commissioners have not funded role

Election staff told the Harnett County Board of Elections that it requested a full-time outreach position to handle community engagement, registration drives and public information ahead of an intense election calendar.

The director said the role would cover outreach, registration events, photo ID and information sessions, and evening and weekend work tied to municipal and general elections. The director described the position as full time with a variable schedule so the person could do night and weekend events while still logging 40 hours per week.

Why it matters: Staff argued the position would reduce burnout during high-demand periods, improve voter information and help counter misinformation about voter lists; the county’s decision on funding will determine whether the office can hire externally or reassign existing staff duties.

The director told the board the county commissioners did not include the outreach position in this year’s budget. The director said she had presented the request to commissioners and that one commissioner suggested waiting for the newly constituted board to express its view before revisiting the request later in the fiscal year.

Board members asked the director to follow up with the county manager and with commissioners if the board directs further pursuit. The board also asked staff to collect data about poll-worker absences reported during last year’s general election; the director said she could pull records on how many poll workers failed to show and whether they were poll workers or judges.

No formal vote was recorded on creating the position; board members discussed next steps and the possibility of returning to the commissioners later in the budget cycle.