The State Board of Elections voted unanimously Monday to uphold the Republican-controlled Watauga County Board of Elections’ majority early-voting plan for the May 2014 primary.

The plan designates only one early-voting site in downtown Boone, and eliminates a one-stop early-voting site on Appalachian State University campus.

According to Kathleen Campbell, the only Democrat on the Watauga County board, the single downtown site will serve more than 60 percent of county voters.

Campbell petitioned the State Board of Elections to consider an alternative plan, alleging that the majority plan “is designed to and will, in fact, disenfranchise and suppress the votes of” young, minority, and Democratic-leaning voters.

Republican board member Bill Aceto told the state board that the Republican plan, which locates voting sites at the center of five concentric circles, is “geographically centered” throughout the county.

Campbell noted in her complaint that the plan does not take into consideration other factors, such as population density and the absence of roads easily connecting voters to voting locations, and contended that the board used flawed “rudimentary geography” to justify pre-determined early-voting sites.

In his attempt to illustrate “geographically centered” one-stop sites, Mr. Aceto identified all his preferred one-stop locations, and then simply drew large, equally-sized concentric circles centered out from each one-stop site (see Exhibit 11). In order to accommodate his equally-sized circles, Mr. Aceto was subsequently forced to include significant portions of his circles into other counties for three of his proposed five sites. Two of Mr. Aceto’s proposed sites fall so close to the Watauga County border, in fact, that a full third of these circles extend into Caldwell and Wilkes counties. Meanwhile, other areas of Watauga County are left high and dry without any circles at all. The Majority Plan thusly asserts that all voters living within any given circle will drive to the location the Majority Plan has devised for them in the center of that circle. This assertion completely ignores the populations within that radius, or that voters drive on roads and will seek the quickest and easiest way to an early voting location, factors of absolute importance when determining the service area of any particular one-stop location.

North Carolina law requires the state board to consider geographic, demographic, and partisan interest as factors when reviewing an early-voting plan.

Campbell emphasized that the Watauga majority plan is not demographically balanced.

Only 31% of Watauga County voters live in rural parts of the county, where the majority of early-voting sites will be located under the new plan. Additionally, significant numbers of rural voters work in Boone or at Appalachian State University, the county’s largest employer, and historically vote at one-stop locations downtown. Because early-voting sites will be open mainly during weekdays and working hours, the downtown early-voting site will be most convenient to many voters.

Campbell contends that the majority plan violates North Carolina law, the North Carolina Constitution, the 14th and 26th amendments, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as amended.

Campbell proposed that the state board select three early-voting sites in downtown Boone — the Watauga County Courthouse, Appalachian State University, and the Boone Town Council Chambers.

The State Board of Elections voted in favor of the majority plan, but suggested new hours for the chosen early-voting sites.

Via WRAL:

Democratic State Board of Elections member Maya Kricker asked Watauga County Republican board member Bill Aceto to explain the closure of the Appalachian State site. He responded that other sites were better suited and more accessible. “I don’t see a compelling public interest in eliminating an early voting site that has served so many voters. The perception of fairness cannot be overstated,” Kricker responded. “We can create a war zone, or we can build a community.” Noting that “there isn’t support” on the state board, which is also Republican-dominated, to force the Watauga County board to reinstate the Appalachian State location, Kricker added, “I’m hoping that you will really reconsider for the general election” in November.

WRAL – State elections board OKs college voting moves

Last fall, the state elections board voted in favor of eliminating the ASU early-voting site for the November 2013 municipal elections.

Early-voting for the Watauga County primary will now take place at the following locations:

Watauga County Administration Building in downtown Boone

Western Watauga Community Center in Sugar Grove

Blowing Rock Town Hall

Deep Gap Fire Department

Meat Camp Fire Department

The new early-voting hours will be:

Thursday and Friday, April 24-25 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with the exception of the Watauga County Administrative Building, which will be open to 5 p.m.)

Monday, April 28, to Friday, May 2 – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 3 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Read Campbell’s petition to the State Board of Elections:

More information:

High Country Press – State Board of elections unanimously upholds majority plan featuring no early voting sites at ASU for primary

Watauga Democrat – NC Board upholds early voting plan

WRAL – Advocates say politics motivates moving polling places off campus