Buncombe County elections board approves 2,259 absentee ballots, disapproves five after marathon review

The Buncombe County Board of Elections on Nov. 1 approved 2,259 absentee ballots and disapproved five after a full evening of line‑by‑line reviews by staff and board members.

Director Duncan told the board that staff 'have 2,264 to process this evening, and I'm confident that we can do that.' The board then moved through separate batches: 60 staff‑selected S and T ballots, 21 military ballots, 97 overseas civilian ballots and 395 absentee ballots accompanied by photo‑ID exception forms. Each of those motions carried unanimously during the meeting.

Why it matters: The approvals were part of the board’s duty to ensure ballots submitted before Election Day meet legal witness and ID requirements and are counted correctly. Staff flagged several ballots for follow‑up or disapproval because of mismatched CIV numbers, out‑of‑state ID timing and missing ballots inside return envelopes.

What the board voted: After staff presentations and group review, the board approved 1,686 of the civilian absentee ballots reviewed that night by motion (the motion carried 5‑0). In a final tally presented at adjournment, staff said the board had reviewed 2,264 absentee ballots in total and approved 2,259 while disapproving five.

Contested cases and outcomes: The board heard several contested items.
- A ballot where a voter returned a second envelope with a different CIV was traced to the same voter and approved after staff verification. Chair moved to approve that ballot and the motion carried 5‑0.
- A ballot presented with an out‑of‑state Minnesota ID for a voter who registered in Buncombe County in September 2023 was disapproved because the ID did not meet the 90‑day exception the board discussed; the motion to disapprove that ballot carried 5‑0.
- A motion to disapprove a ballot that included a second witness who had signed but not printed a name failed 1‑4; the board therefore counted that ballot after debate over the witness identification.

Votes at a glance:
- Approve 60 board‑pending S & T ballots — motion carries 5‑0.
- Approve 21 military ballots — motion carries 5‑0.
- Approve 97 overseas civilian ballots — motion carries 5‑0.
- Approve 395 photo‑ID exception ballots — motion carries 5‑0.
- Disapprove ballot using out‑of‑state ID outside the 90‑day rule (Minnesota) — motion carries 5‑0.
- Approve traced mismatched‑CIV ballot after verification — motion carries 5‑0.
- Disapprove two mismatched‑CIV ballots and one envelope with no ballot — motion carries 5‑0.
- Defer Rebecca Roseanne Brothers ballot for further staff review — motion carries 5‑0.

Board procedure and follow‑up: Staff said they will reach out to affected voters where a cure is possible (for example, by providing a valid current ID) and will return deferred items to the board at a later meeting. The board confirmed duplications and the scanning of any ballots that required transcription or duplication before being counted.

Next steps: The board scheduled additional absentee review work for Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m. to finish pending items and follow up on ballots deferred for staff research.