Elections board addresses campaigns, incident reports

WADESBORO — The Anson County Board of Elections convened for a special meeting on Oct. 23 after one campaign received several incident reports.

The complaints report that members of a Democratic campaign are seeking voters out and asking if they need assistance at the polling location. Several reports were filed on the Oct. 20, Oct. 22 and one was reported on Oct. 23.

Interim Board of Elections Director Sherry Melton responded when the first incidents came forward by talking with the campaign and then sending out letters to all candidates outlining the statutes regarding members of campaigns helping voters in this manner. This information had previously been sent out to each campaign.

The newest incident report came less than 24 hours after Melton sent out the letters. It is unclear which campaign is accused of violating this rule.

The accused was seen walking up to voters outside the buffer zone and asked if they needed assistance with voting. A buffer zone is a zone 50 feet from a polling site that those running, and members of their campaigns, are not allowed to enter.

Voters are entitled to request help from anyone. The person seeking help must verbally or physically communicate who is assisting them to the chief justice, who in this case is Melton.

In one of the incident reports, a voter complained he or she felt intimated by a campaign worker.

The Board motioned to address all campaigns with the issue at the same time. James Paxton, chairman of the board, brought the issue up outside, clarified further questions candidates and campaign members asked and informed them of the rules.

If the issue continues with this specific campaign, the board will move forward with a “stern and strategic” manner. That campaign could lose their campaigning privileges for the remainder of the 2020 election cycle.