05/21/2026
For years, Pitt County’s Board of Elections has been considered one of the finest, if not the finest, in the state. In December, the long-time director retired and 2 long-serving Board members resigned. Today marks almost a year to the day that the North Carolina General Assembly wrested power over the Board of Elections from the Democratic Governor and gave it to the Republican State Auditor’s office.
As a citizen of Pitt County, I am concerned about the Chair of our Board of Elections greeting voters outside an early voting location in November. I am concerned that the website isn’t up to date. I am concerned about taxpayers paying for a Sheriff’s Deputy at BOE meetings. I am concerned about the firing of Lavern Judge, the most senior employee and the one responsible for training election workers, and worry that we taxpayers will have to foot the bill for a wrongful termination lawsuit. I am concerned about the long delay in returns on Primary Day, which were finally posted after 10:pm — when only 10% of the electorate voted. I am supremely disappointed that election workers were not paid for that election for almost 6 weeks. I am concerned that a member of the Board asked 3 times for a closed session and was denied 3 times. And I am deeply concerned that the 3 Republican members of this Board held a meeting to which the other 2 members were not invited — in what seems to be a clear violation of the Open Meetings Law — the result of which was a complaint against one of the members to the State Board that read as if the whole Board were present and had voted for it and could result in the removal of that member from the Board. Today’s meeting being cancelled with less than 3 hours’ notice is further cause for concern.
The Pitt County Board of Elections is a non-partisan board, and its work should not be swayed or changed by political allegiance, ignorance of state statute, or both but rather should ensure the rights of all voters in Pitt County.
Molly Holdeman, Chair
Pitt County Democratic Party
