County election staff, observers and voters report election law violations

WADESBORO — Even after the Anson County Board of Elections addressed candidates and members of their campaigns about reports of election law violations, more reports came in alleging ongoing violations by campaign staff and observers.

As of noon on Oct. 28, 17 incident reports have been filed with the Board of Elections. On Oct. 23, the board gathered for an emergency meeting to address the incident reports. The initial reports state John Montgomery — husband of Dannie Montgomery, the Democratic candidate for Anson County Register of Deeds — illegally assisted a voter who was not a relative nor under his guardianship.

North Carolina General Statute 163-166.9 states that any registered voter qualified to vote in the election is “entitled to assistance with entering and exiting the voting booth and in preparing ballots” from the voter’s spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter or son-in-law, stepparent or stepchild.

The statute additionally requires that a qualified voter receiving assistance must request permission from the chief judge and identify who will be helping them. In Anson County, Sherry Melton is the chief judge granting those voters permission for assistance.

Two reports filed on Oct. 22 state that a woman in the Montgomery campaign tent walked into the Board of Elections “with a voter that had parked in front of the tent” and someone wearing “pink pants and John Montgomery offered assistance to 2 voters that drove up — they walked in with the voters.”

A voter also filed an incident report that same day.

“As soon as I pulled up and exited my vehicle a campaign worker came up to me and forced me to vote for Dannie Montgomery and told me not to vote Greg Eudy,” the report said. “As a first time voter I felt it wasn’t fair to me.”

The emergency board meeting came after these reports and one filed on Oct. 23. James Paxton, Chairman of the Board, addressed campaigners outside about this issue, warning if continued, the campaign could lose their campaigning privileges for the remainder of the 2020 election cycle.

This warning, did not stop these violations being filed.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, an observer reported seeing Montgomery asking an older gentleman to pick-up a Democratic sample ballot. Montgomery then allegedly proceeded to ask the gentleman if he needed help to vote, then accompanied him inside the polling location and filled out the circles on the ballot.

Several more reports around the same time were filed regarding both John and candidate Dannie Montgomery. The report relating to Dannie alleges she went with the voter through the drive-thru voting site and filled out the bubbles for that voter.

Another report came from an election observer who told election officials they overheard John Montgomery, as he walked up the steps with a younger voter, instruct the voter to tell the elections board that he needed help from John to vote.

A Board of Elections staff member also reported witnessing election misconduct by John Montgomery.

“John Montgomery walked across the parking lot to two elderly woman and stopped them in front of the Board of Elections building, asked if they wanted them to help, then preceded to yell across parking lot to have someone go inside with them,” the report from the staff member states.

Melton, the director of the Board of Elections, even filed a report against observer Delores Thomas on Oct. 26. According to the incident report, Thomas was seen standing up inside the polling site. When asked if there was a problem by Melton, Thomas indicated that she was curious if a specific voter had asked for help. When Melton informed Thomas the voter did ask for help, Thomas then went to the voter, asking if she was blind. Melton informed Thomas that she is not to speak with any voter and she is not allowed to ask voters questions.

An observer or poll watcher is appointed by political parties and then approved by the Board of Elections. He or she must be registered to vote in the county.

“Their job is to observe the day-to-day activities of elections and report to the director anything he or she finds or questions,” Paxton said. “An observer is absolutely forbidden to speak to, question or interfere with a voter. None whatsoever. Any questions he or she may have is to be going to the chief judge.”

Each observer can spend up to four hours a day at a polling location.