ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County’s Board of Elections had a Pledge of Allegiance on Tuesday before their meeting, but they didn’t add it to their agenda and include within the meeting as the chairwoman said they would.
In part, that’s because there was no agenda, unlike each meeting since they were put together last spring.
There was the business of approving absentee ballots, and nine of the 11 before the board of three Democrats and two Republicans were accepted. The other two submitted had no signature and were ruled “spoiled,” an action that sometimes happens at polling places on Election Day and means the voter can resubmit a ballot.
But all eyes were on the board and chairwoman Louella Thompson for what happened in January’s meeting, and the days after. An impromptu Pledge of Allegiance — the board had voted against adding it earlier in the meeting — was recited during the open comments period of the meeting. Following a closed session for a personnel matter, Thompson told the small audience the pledge had been a disruption and lawmen would make sure it did not happen again at future meetings.
Uproar to her comments about use of lawmen and the pledge were overwhelming. Gov. Roy Cooper, who made her appointment, and U.S. Sen. Dan Bishop were among those who took issue with Thompson’s actions. And two days later, she issued a statement that read in part, “I’ve decided the Bladen County Board of Elections will include the Pledge of Allegiance in its agenda for regular meetings starting in February.”
That didn’t happen. Nor did anyone from the board say anything about conducting business in closed session in violation of the state’s open meetings law.
Nor was there another vote by the board on Tuesday to decide if the pledge would be included after the meeting was gaveled into session. The vote in January was 3-2 against, with Thompson in the majority. Her reversal signals a new vote could be different.
At two minutes before the scheduled 5 p.m. start of the meeting, Thompson rose to tell the audience of 49 — capped by the fire marshal for the building; many more stood outside along Cypress Street unable to get in — that before the meeting begins there would be a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Rev. Larry Hayes, chairman of the Democratic Party, led both and most everyone in the room to include four of five board members stood. Board member Patsy Sheppard had exited the room about 20 minutes beforehand.
The meeting started immediately after, with Sheppard back at her seat, and opened with Secretary Deborah Belle stating the purpose of the meeting and in what order it would proceed.
Absentee-by-mail ballots approval was first, and the director’s report from Chris Williams followed. He provided the panel with a list of the poll workers that went through training ahead of the March 3 primary.
Following adjournment of the 11-minute meeting, Thompson declined to answer any questions. Sheppard was willing to explain the board’s position on no longer having an agenda.
”We were told we were conducting our business as an elected board and that we were wrong,” Sheppard said, referring to a meeting with legal counsel. “So we were supposed to conduct in a certain order as an appointed board. That’s the standard — that there is not an agenda, there’s not minutes approved and all that stuff. I wouldn’t say we were violating the law, but when we were in board training, we learned that we hadn’t been doing things right. So we’re trying to adjust ourselves.”
The board was observed by a state Board of Elections staff member several times last year, at times guided through segments. The state board’s legal counsel also attended. All of those meetings included an agenda produced beforehand for the public, and followed while in session. There was no mention at the time the board was in error.
Asked about Thompson not including the pledge after the meeting officially began, Sheppard said, “That’s because she was told she could not legally put it back on the agenda because it was voted not to be included.”
Reminded there was no agenda, Sheppard said, “You know what the intent is, between the time it is called to order and the end of the meeting, that’s — she used the word agenda because at that time, we were operating under … When we came in and were appointed, we were told by our previous director said this is the way we operate. It wasn’t.
“Again, we learned the rules afterward, after all that transpired in the course of meeting with lawyers. We opened ourselves up. If we had been doing it right in the first place, none of this mess would have ever happened.”
The spot for Patsy Sheppard is empty as (from left) Deborah Belle, Louella Thompson, Michael Aycock and Emery White stand for the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the start of the Bladen County Board of Elections meeting. Sheppard returned when the meeting was gaveled to order.