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Board of Elections

Orange County · Board of Elections
Monday, November 4, 2024

Regular meeting Elections and districts

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 3Approval of Board Minutes Approved unanimously
  2. Denied 7Disapproval of Civilian Absentee Ballots Disapproved 20 civilian absentee ballots, unanimous
  3. Approved 8Approval of Civilian, Overseas and Military Absentee Ballots Approved 1,470 civilian, 224 overseas and 22 military absentee ballots, all unanimous

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Election Day was one day away, and Orange County's elections board spent this meeting clearing its absentee ballot backlog. Director Rachel Raper reported 69,131 ballots cast during early voting, a record turnout, plus 1,439 civilian, 224 overseas and 22 military absentee-by-mail ballots that staff recommended for approval and 18 recommended for disapproval, after eligible voters were contacted and sent replacement ballot packages.

Also pending: 34 civilian absentee envelopes where a photo ID document might have been sealed inside rather than attached outside, which needed board review before staff could act on them.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

The board disapproved 20 civilian absentee ballots and approved 1,470 civilian, 224 overseas and 22 military absentee ballots. Members first reviewed the 34 flagged envelopes and found 32 met all requirements while two did not, then ran a bipartisan quality-control check across 250 civilian envelopes. When staff pulled ballots from the approved envelopes for tabulation, one envelope turned out to be empty; the board amended its approval down to 1,470 and said staff would contact that voter.

Members ran the approved ballots through a DS850 tabulator for a final count of 5,925, then sealed the results into two envelopes under security seals numbered N55,609 and N55,610, signed by the board. Director Raper also described a portal outage that blocked UNC students from pulling proof-of-residency documents at the Chapel of the Cross early-voting site on the last day of voting; the county's emergency management division and UNC's information-technology office restored access by 2 p.m. No one appeared for public comment, and the meeting closed with a discussion of Election Day logistics and precinct visits.

How the votes went

Five votes, all unanimous: approving the October 29 minutes, disapproving 20 civilian absentee ballots, approving 1,470 civilian absentee ballots (amended down from 1,471 after an empty envelope surfaced), approving 224 overseas absentee ballots, and approving 22 military absentee ballots.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

Orange County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Agenda items (11)

Other · 4Procedural · 3Staff or committee report · 2Minutes approval · 1Discussion item · 1
  1. 1 Call to Order
    Procedural
    Chair Jamie Cox called the meeting to order.
  2. 2 Public Comment
    Procedural
    Chair Cox opened the floor for public comment. No one asked to address the board.
  3. 3 Approval of Board Minutes
    Minutes approval
    The board approved the minutes of its October 29, 2024 meeting as submitted.
    Approved unanimously
  4. 4 Director's Report: Early Voting Ballots Cast to Date
    Staff or committee report Elections and districts
    Director Raper reported 69,131 ballots cast across six early-voting sites by the close of early voting on November 2, and record turnout overall.
  5. 5 Director's Report: Absentee By-Mail Ballots Cast to Date
    Staff or committee report Elections and districts
    The director reported 1,439 civilian, 224 overseas and 22 military absentee-by-mail ballots recommended for approval, 18 civilian ballots recommended for disapproval with replacement packages already sent, and 34 civilian envelopes pending review over possibly sealed-in photo ID documents.
  6. 6 Review of Flagged Absentee Envelopes (Photo ID)
    Other Elections and districts
    The board reviewed 34 civilian absentee envelopes flagged because a photo ID document might have been sealed inside rather than attached outside. It found 32 met all acceptance requirements and two did not.
    32 of 34 accepted; 2 did not meet photo ID requirements
  7. 7 Disapproval of Civilian Absentee Ballots
    Other Elections and districts
    After review, the board disapproved 20 civilian absentee ballots recommended for disapproval by staff.
    Disapproved 20 civilian absentee ballots, unanimous
  8. 8 Approval of Civilian, Overseas and Military Absentee Ballots
    Other Elections and districts
    After a bipartisan quality-control review of 250 civilian envelopes, the board approved civilian, overseas and military absentee ballots. It amended the civilian count down by one after staff found an empty envelope while removing ballots for tabulation.
    Approved 1,470 civilian, 224 overseas and 22 military absentee ballots, all unanimous
  9. 9 Ballot Tabulation and Sealing
    Other Elections and districts
    The board watched staff run approved ballots through a DS850 tabulator for a count of 5,925, then signed a sealing label and watched the director seal voted ballots into two security envelopes under codes N55,609 and N55,610.
  10. 10 Board Discussion
    Discussion item Elections and districts
    Members discussed Election Day logistics and precinct visits.
  11. 11 Adjournment
    Procedural
    The board adjourned.
    Approved unanimously

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