Rockingham County elections board approves 97 provisional ballots, adds them to primary tally

The Rockingham County Board of Elections voted to approve 97 provisional ballots and add them to the county’s primary tabulation after an item-by-item review at a public meeting.

Paula Seamster, director of the Rockingham County Board of Elections, told the board that provisional ballots let voters cast a ballot when there is a question about eligibility and that officials verify eligibility after election day. "A provisional ballot is essentially a backup ballot that allows someone to vote even when there's a question about their eligibility at the polling place," Seamster said.

Why it matters: Provisional ballots can affect close contests because they are reviewed and counted only after officials confirm eligibility. Seamster cited the federal Help America Vote Act and described North Carolina’s registration-repair project, noting tens of thousands of registrations statewide lacked required ID numbers and that the county had multiple categories of provisional ballots to review.

What the board did: The board considered provisionals in several categories. Seamster said 46 ballots flagged under the driver’s-license/SSN (DL/SSN) registration-repair category were validated by staff and recommended for approval; the board approved them. The board also approved two ballots with photo-ID exceptions (one voter had lost a purse; one had only a temporary paper license), one provisional ballot cured when the voter later presented ID in the elections office, 26 ballots cast at the incorrect precinct but otherwise eligible under state guidance, seven ballots tied to unrecognized geocoded addresses (four from new construction), and two ballots from voters who had moved within the county and not updated their registration. In a separate review of 19 ballots listed as having no record of registration, the director recommended approving five after cross-checks; the board approved those five and disapproved others as documented.

Party-affiliation and purged registrants: The board reviewed 34 ballots involving party-affiliation issues. Seamster reported 6 that staff recommended approving (party-change or unaffiliated voters who properly chose a ballot) and 28 that staff recommended disapproving because county and state records showed a different party affiliation or missed the party-affiliation deadline. Two voters whose records showed they had been removed (described in the meeting as purged) were pulled for separate review. After discussing list-maintenance guidance from the state board, the board voted to include those two provisional ballots in the count because staff could not identify records showing the voters had moved out of the county.

Numbers and procedure: Seamster told the board that, after the approvals, the provisional ballot count rose to 97. She then opened approved provisional envelopes, inserted ballots into the DS200 tabulator in the presence of campaign witnesses, and read race-by-race provisional additions aloud (examples included provisional additions to U.S. Senate and state legislative races). The board asked witnesses to avoid photographing ballots and instructed staff to adjudicate any unreadable-mark ballots according to standard procedures.

Board questions and concerns: At least one member raised concerns about how purges are applied and whether removals were the result of statute or administrative policy; Seamster said she would follow up with the state board for clarification where necessary. Board members also asked staff to confirm DMV and state registration records during the review, which Seamster said had been done.

Next steps: Board members signed the DS200 tapes and adjourned the meeting. The inclusion of these provisional ballots will be reflected in the county’s certified results according to normal post-election procedures.

Quote: "If the voter is confirmed eligible, the ballot is counted. If eligibility cannot be confirmed, the ballot is not counted," Seamster said, summarizing the review standard.

The board adjourned after asking members to sign the tapes for the record.