HCBOE Board Meeting Minutes- October 13, 2015- Continued Canvass MeetingHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
CONTINUED CANVASS MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 13, 2015
4:00 P.M.
Present were Board Members; James Currin, Tony Spears, Joseph Powell and Director Claire
Jones.
Also Present were; Tom Woerner, Daily Record reporter, Dunn Candidates, Fred Chavis and
Frank McLean, Ward 3 and Billy Barfield, Ward 6.
Mr. Currin called the meeting to order at 4:04 pm.
Business:
Mrs. Jones informed the Board of the reason for the meeting. The calculation to determine the
winner of Dunn ward 3 is General Statute 163-293.1, which states, "The majority shall be
ascertained by dividing the total vote cast for all candidates by two. Any excess of the sum so
ascertained shall be a majority." Mrs. Jones assumed that includes all votes for Chavis and
McLean combined. After consulting with the State Board Mrs. Jones realized that there was one
write-in ballot that was not added in with the "total ballots cast." This was a write-in for a person
who was ineligible to hold that position. The State Board declared that the County Board needed
to reconvene their canvass meeting and decide whether or not the write-in vote counts toward the
total votes cast for purposes of determining a winner.
Mr. Spears moved to go into closed session. Mr. Powell seconded. Approved without dissent.
Mr. Currin stated that they would go into closed session only to discuss interpretation of law; not
to deliberate the issue. The Board went into closed session at 4:14 pm.
Mr. Powell moved to return to open session. Mr. Spears seconded. Approved without dissent.
The Board returned at 4:18 pm.
Mr. Powell stated he felt that the write-in should be included in the total vote cast because the
voter that cast the vote was valid. Mr. Spears felt that because the vote was cast for an ineligible
candidate it should not be counted. After some discussion Mr. Powell moved to include the
write-in ballot with the total ballots cast. Mr. Currin seconded. Motion was approved by a vote of
two to one with Mr. Spears casting the dissenting vote.
Mrs. Jones stated that the total ballots cast was 127 and the number needed to receive majority
was 65. Mr. McLean did not receive majority but still had the highest number of votes.
According to GS 163-293.1, Mr. McLean is the winner unless Mr. Chavis requests a runoff
election. At that time Mr. Chavis spoke up and stated that he did want to request a runoff. Mrs,
.Jones informed Mr. Chavis to officially hand write a request and submitted it. Mr. Chavis
submitted the request immediately after the meeting.
With no other business to discuss, the next meeting will be an Absentee meeting on October 20,
2015 at 5:00 pm.
Mr. Powell moved to adjourn. Mr. Spears seconded. The canvass meeting was adjourned at
4:24 pm.
Approved by:
Z4.es Currin, Chairman