Election campaign treasurer training expected to be offered

ELIZABETHTOWN — Training for election campaign finance treasurers is expected to be offered later this summer or early fall.

Chris Williams, director of the staff at the Bladen County Board of Elections, shared the update during Tuesday’s regular meeting of the board. Four members attended; Republican Emery White had an excused absence.

There were no action items.

• Rolls: Williams said the staff continues to go through the voter rolls, purging or adding as needed. Purges include for felons; examples of adds are those registering, and those coming off probation.

• July 2: That’s the date municipal election filing begins. Williams said staff is ready.

• Complaints: Democratic board members Patsy Shepherd and Chairwoman Louella Thompson voiced displeasure with public records requests they said can be directed to the state. Each is in favor of getting as many as possible to be handled by the state, and they broached the possibility of instituting a charge. Williams has already been regularly directing requests to the state where applicable.

• Early voting: Williams said White Lake, Bladenboro and Elizabethtown plan to have one-stop voting this fall. The other four municipalities do not.

• Workers: Recruitment of poll workers is being encouraged by the board. The county’s two major political parties, for Democrats and Republicans, supply the names the appointed board is to use in August.