New county election board to be sworn in next week; only three known so far

ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County’s new appointed Board of Elections members are scheduled for swearing in on Tuesday next week.

The board of Chairwoman Louella Thompson, Patsy Sheppard, Deborah Belle, Emery White and Michael Aycock convened as a group for the final time this week; Aycock was absent. The new board appointments announced include Belle, White and Aycock.

One board appointment announced, Hakeem Brown, has since notified the chairman of the county’s Democratic Party he will not be able to serve “due to changing circumstances.” Brown was a candidate for sheriff in 2018, and most politicos believe he’ll be that party’s nomination for office again in 2022; he would not be able to run for office if on the Board of Elections.

The state Board of Elections will make the announcement of his replacement, pending consultation from the county party.

Gov. Roy Cooper makes the announcement of who will serve as chairman for all 1oo counties. That is yet to happen.

The schedule ramps up immediately once the board is sworn in.

While filing for the Nov. 2 election is set to end this Friday at noon, the new board will:

• Meet in regular session Aug. 10 at 5 p.m.

• Has a deadline of Aug. 12 to to receive the potential poll worker lists from the chairmen of the parties for Democrats and Republicans.

• Meets again Aug. 17 to decide on poll workers.

• Has an Aug. 28 deadline to submit one-stop plans for the fall election to the state Board of Elections.

The new board, at its regular August meeting, will be discussing the early voting — one-stop is part of that — plans for the municipal elections. Bladenboro, Elizabethtown and White Lake have opted in; East Arcadia, Clarkton, Tar Heel and Dublin are not doing early voting. The three precincts, combined, total almost 4,500 registered voters.

Williams told the board on Tuesday that the canvass of the municipal election this year will be the following Tuesday, on Nov. 9, at 11 a.m.