The Bladen County Board of Elections is an important group of people who are charged with making necessary decisions to make sure our primary elections and general elections are held and operated in the smoothest and most legal fashion.

That’s a heavy responsibility to put on the shoulders of five people — especially given the election shenanigans that have gone on in this county over recent years, like that of Dowless McRae and a county commissioner who once tried to “test the system” by voting twice.

This five-person elections board, however, is a complete and total embarrassment to the county.

We will start with the immature and silly attempt at making some kind of far-fetched and Kaepernick-ish message by not standing for the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

Patsy Sheppard, as has always been her persona, is the self-appointed mouthpiece for the trio of Democrat members. Her blistering accusations, name-calling and uncalled for admonishments dominate almost every meeting — all while her party cohorts basically sit idle.

There is absolutely no attempt by BOE Chairman Louella Thompson to rein Sheppard in, regardless of how malicious or uncouth her words are. And Deborah Bells rarely utters a handful of words.

Take, for example, what she said this week while saying the board has to be careful to limit its partisanship and backbiting: “We’ve got to stop thinking anyone with a ‘D’ in front of their name is the enemy,” she continued, “and anyone with an ‘R’ is the second coming of Jesus Christ.”

In our book, that’s the definition of the pot calling the kettle black.

But the Republican members aren’t getting off clean.

We’ve seen no attempts by Michael Aycock or Emery White to find common ground or work with the trio of Democrats on the board — as difficult as that may seem.

Aycock, in his stealth-like way, often tries to push Sheppard’s buttons, and White is the Republican version of Belle — hardly way much at all.

We would urge this board, which rarely ever decides an issue by anything different than a 3-2 vote along party lines, to find a way to come together for the betterment of Bladen County and the election process — but we are convinced not a single individual on that board can or wants to do that.

The childish actions and constant degradation that goes on has even filtered down to the polling places, where it’s become difficult to find registered voters who will work.

Sheppard was right this week when she said, “We have been hearing from a lot of people who say they don’t want to be a poll worker anymore because of the partisanship and ugly things that goes on in this room. We’ve got to stop this kind of backbiting.”

The bad news is that she is the main reason for all the trouble, but each member should just stop acting like spoiled children.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Coming together is a beginning; staying together is progress; working together is success.”