State Port Pilot, April 12, 2023
Our Brunswick County Commissioners are finally tackling one of the most pressing problems facing our county. Are they reining in the unchecked development that’s overwhelming our communities? No. Planning affordable housing for the workers who serve the businesses of Brunswick County? No. Protecting our air and water from corporate polluters? No.
The “crisis” stirring our Commissioners to action involves the Brunswick County Board of Elections (BOE). I should say, the award-winning BOE recently recognized as not only one of the best in North Carolina but as one of the top ten “Centers for Election Excellence” in America. Not only that, our Director of Elections, Sara LaVere, was just elected president of the North Carolina Association of Directors of Elections.
Confidence in America’s elections is being systematically undermined by a petulant former president and his enablers. They relentlessly push “The Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” by vote manipulation and that our electoral processes nationwide are fraudulent and cannot be trusted. In the face of these spurious lies, Brunswick County’s election processes remain free and fair, administered efficiently by the dedicated professionals of our BOE. We’re an island of electoral excellence.
In 2022, Republicans won every election in Brunswick County, yet our Commissioners irresponsibly cry foul. They’ve issued a resolution demanding that the BOE end its membership in the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence (the Alliance), a national, non-partisan organization sharing best practices and helping local boards run fair elections.
Our Commissioners mistakenly claim the Alliance is funded by wealthy liberals like Mark Zuckerberg and other tech sector billionaires. Although multiple sources (including the Federal Election Commission) have debunked this “fake news,” our Board of Commissioners is trying to coerce the BOE into terminating its relationship with the Alliance.
Our Commissioners have grossly underfunded elections in Brunswick County, spending less than $8 per voter versus the North Carolina average of $17 per voter. Starving the BOE of funds, then pressuring it to reject Alliance support leads to only one conclusion: Our Commissioners have no interest in free and fair elections.
The BOE should reject the commissioners’ needless meddling in an election system that works superbly for our Brunswick County citizens and stands as a model of excellence for America. Our Commissioners should focus their attention on the real problems plaguing Brunswick County and stop aiding and abetting election deniers.
Arthur Hill
Southport
[*Correction: The average spent per voter on elections administration in Brunswick County is under $10 (not $8), and that is compared to a national (not North Carolina) average of $17 per voter. Source: NC Newsline.]