County elections chair reports filing error that nearly left a Montreat commission seat without a candidate; resident urges review

Jake Quinn, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Elections, told the Montreat Board of Commissioners on Sept. 12 that a filing-period "snafu" during July nearly left a vacant commissioner seat without a candidate because an appointed incumbent did not realize they needed to run.

Quinn said the county elections office will revise the correspondence it sends to municipalities to remind staff to check whether appointed incumbents must stand for election; he emphasized that municipal charters differ and that the Board of Elections relies on town staff for accurate information.

During public comment later in the meeting, resident Dr. Mary Standaert said residents were originally informed on July 5 that a mayor and two four-year commissioner seats were open but later learned a third seat (the unexpired term of Commissioner Kent Ott) should have been listed. Standaert said she was "informed that when the Board of Elections called for confirmation of open seats, they were told by a member of Town Staff that it was a mayor and two four-year term commissioner seats," and asked the board to ask Jake Quinn whether the town had notified the Board of Elections about Ott's resignation. She characterized the handling as a failure that may have discouraged potential candidates.

No board action was recorded in these segments to change how the town notifies the Board of Elections; Quinn said the county plans to change its own outreach language to help municipalities detect appointed incumbents who must run.