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Madison County Board duplicates a ballot and unanimously approves tabulation of absentee mail-in ballots
Summary
At an Nov. 5 absentee session in Marshall, the Madison County Board of Elections duplicated one ballot that failed to tabulate, voted 5-0 to tabulate absentee mail-in ballots, recessed and later reconciled equipment, uploaded results to the state, and adjourned after signing the canvass.
MADISON COUNTY, N.C. — The Madison County Board of Elections on Nov. 5 duplicated a single absentee ballot that failed to tabulate at an early voting site and proceeded to count absentee mail-in ballots after a unanimous vote.
Chair Jerry Wallin called the absentee session to order at 3:00 p.m. in the Board of Elections conference room in Marshall. Board members recorded in attendance were Chair Jerry Wallin; Secretary Dyatt Smathers; Brian Ball; Ray Lewis; Debbie Ponder; and Jacob Ray, director.
During new business, board staff reported that one ballot from the Hot Springs Senior Meal Site would not tabulate. The board recorded that staff duplicated the ballot so it could be counted. Dyatt Smathers moved, and Chair Jerry Wallin seconded, a motion “to tabulate the absentee mail-in ballots.” The motion passed unanimously, 5-0, at 3:00 p.m.
After approving tabulation, the board voted (Smathers; Wallin) to recess until 7:00 p.m.; that motion also passed 5-0. Staff later reconciled early voting equipment and closed chains of custody at 7:30 p.m. The board created and signed the abstract of absentee results.
Absentee and early voting results were uploaded to the North Carolina State Board of Elections reporting software for release at 8:00 p.m. Election Day results were uploaded in batches through 8:40 p.m., and the board produced and signed an election-night canvass block-style report.
A motion to adjourn (moved by Dyatt Smathers, seconded by Chair Jerry Wallin) passed unanimously at 8:45 p.m., concluding the session.
The minutes list the meeting location as Suite E, Room 16, 5707 US 25-70 Hwy, Marshall, and record that the board conducted duplication and tabulation as part of its accepted procedures for ballots that do not tabulate.
