Yesterday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections has decided to keep the polls open for an additional 30 minutes at two precincts following technical setbacks that interrupted the morning’s voting process. The affected locations, one in Burke County and another in Wilson County, experienced separate technical issues that temporarily hindered the ability of voters to check in. This decision allows additional time for those who may have been impacted by the disruptions.
In Wilson County’s Gardners School, the delay was caused by a printer connection issue that prevented “authorization to vote” forms from being printed, as mentioned on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, crucial for voter check-in. Over in Burke County, at the Pilot Mountain precinct located at The Rock Church, they couldn’t boot up the laptop containing the official pollbook, which is necessary for checking in voters. While minor issues are not unheard of across the state’s 2,650 polling sites, they necessitate swift action to ensure every voter gets their chance to participate fully in the electoral process.
According to a statement obtained by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the law (N.C.G.S. § 163-166.25) gives the State Board the authority to prolong voting hours wherever there has been an interruption of at least 15 minutes. However, the extension is tailored only to the duration of the disruption and is limited to the specific sites affected.
With the hour’s extension, any votes cast after the normal closing time of 7:30 p.m. at these precincts will be counted as provisional, adhering to state law. The State Board also confirmed that unofficial results for Burke or Wilson counties will be withheld until all voting concludes at these sites. As for the rest of North Carolina’s counties, results started rolling in promptly at 7:30 p.m.
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