Harnett County election board approves amended early-voting plan amid conflict-of-interest concerns

The Harnett County Board of Elections, facing sustained public comment and internal debate over cost, access and optics, voted on an amendment Tuesday to its proposed early-voting plan and agreed to submit the majority plan to the state board because the decision was not unanimous.

The amendment, put forward by a board member during the meeting, removed Boone Trail Community Center as a designated early-voting site and added Anderson Creek Fire Station in its place. Board members also discussed eliminating Sunday early-voting hours in the majority plan to reduce operating costs; staff told members that dissenting board members may submit an alternate plan to the state board, which will make the final decision.

The board heard repeated objections from residents about the proposed use of a private warehouse owned by Ricky Temple, a former precinct chair. "The Templeton Building breaks the state law," said Alan Longman, who urged legal action if the board approved the site, characterizing the use as a conflict of interest. The chair responded that the owner had offered the site free of charge and that he was no longer the precinct chair, and staff said they would follow statutory guidance.

Other residents pressed the board to base any changes on data and operational capacity. "We currently struggle to recruit and sustain enough qualified volunteers and poll workers to manage the locations that we already have," said Eric Stevenson (Anderson Creek, Over Hills precinct), urging the board to show evidence of sustainable staffing before expanding the number of sites. Kelly McRae and other residents analyzed distances and concluded the proposed new sites offered little travel-time advantage for many voters.

Several commenters highlighted cost concerns. Laura Phelps (Boone Trail precinct) said the county’s current budget provides for five early-voting sites at roughly $30,000–$40,000 each and called adding two more "a waste of money," while Caitlin Polanski (Northwest Harnett precinct) urged transparency about how precinct splits and past turnout would affect the need for more sites.

Director Elizabeth (Director, Harnett County Board of Elections) told the board that, as of 4:00, the office had recorded 542 voters so far that day, with 366 in Angier, 120 in Coats and 56 at Willington/Neals Creek, and reported operations as running smoothly with few complaints. She also presented a vendor quote for "ballot on demand" equipment at about $43,000 per site for a six-check-in configuration, noting the county typically uses five check-ins; she said the equipment could reduce ballot-ordering waste and some categories of error but that the up-front cost is substantial and could be piloted at a single precinct.

During debate, some board members said accepting a free private site could be perceived as a gift or create optics issues given the owner’s political history; others emphasized the board’s statutory independence and the need to ensure reasonable access within budget constraints. After discussion, the board adopted the amendment by majority; staff will submit the majority plan to the State Board of Elections for final determination, and dissenting members may submit an alternate plan for consideration.

The meeting also included routine business: approval of minutes, two absentee ballots and procedural updates. The board recessed to complete administrative tasks at the Board of Elections office and directed staff to provide further cost comparisons on ballot-on-demand before the next meeting.

What’s next: The Harnett County Board of Elections will submit its majority early-voting plan to the State Board of Elections, which has statutory authority to accept, modify or replace that plan; board staff will follow up with additional cost and pilot recommendations for ballot-on-demand equipment at a subsequent meeting.