Bladen Board of Elections Receive Election Protest Notifications
 
Three candidates for political office in the May 8th primary have presented an Election Protest to the Bladen County Board of Elections.
 
Those protesting include Mathew (Matt) J. Dixon, Robert Wayne Brooks and Albert C. Beatty. 
 
Dixon was a candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 22.  Brooks was a candidate for Bladen County Commissioner, District 1 and Beatty was a candidate for County Commissioner At-Large.
 
Beatty has indicated he may withdraw his protest.
 
Dixon, an Elizabethtown Attorney, alleges two types of election law violations.  In the information delivered to the local Board or Elections, he says in his petition, "This protest involves two types of election law violations.  The first concerns vote buying in violation of N.C.G.S. 163-275(2).  The second concerns interference with the proper procedures for absentee voting, potentially in violation of N.C.G.S. 163-226.3(a)(1), (4), (6), and (7) and of N.C.G.S 163-231(a) and other absentee ballot laws."
 
Dixon provides what he describes as background information, to explain why he believes the irregularities have occurred in greater volume than the specific incidents cited in the protest - that indeed they have occurred to such an extent that "they taint the results of the entire election and cast doubt on its fairness." N.C.G.S. 163-182.13(a)(4).  Because of this, he, the protester, believes the voters of House District 22 are entitled to a new election.
 
His protest continues, "Certain sections of Bladen County have historically engaged in a get out the vote (GOTV) effort.  These areas include, but are not limited to, East Arcadia, Elizabethtown, and Bladenboro.  Specifically, individuals, called "runners", are paid $10 to $15 per voter they can bring to the polls.  They are expected and encouraged to bring 20 voters to the polls per day, and are normally paid around $200.00 per day.  The majority of this activity occurs during the one-stop, or early voting period."
 
"In these same sections of the county," he continues, "the runners are also known to become involved in the absentee mail-in ballot system.  They insert themselves into this process by delivering the ballots to the voters, and assisting the voters with completing the ballots.  Upon information and belief, this has also occurred in nursing and rest homes."
 
"When the runners become involved with a voter, they provide him or her with a "Sample Ballot".  The circles next to certain candidates are already filled in on the sample ballot, thus indicating how the ballot should be completed by the voter,i.e., who they should vote for.  The candidates whose names appear next to the filled circles shall hereinafter be referred to as "endorsed candidates".
 
Dixon continues, "Most of the sample ballots are produced by the Bladen Improvement Association PAC (hereinafter referred to as PAC), which is a political action committee based in Bladen County.  The PAC "endorses" certain candidates who then contribute financially to the PAC.  In April, 2012, William Brisson donated $4,000.00 to the PAC, along with other candidates who contributed lesser amounts.  Upon information and belief, all candidates who contributed to the PAC in 2012 were included on the sample ballot of candidates for whom the voters should vote.  Also upon information and belief, almost all of these candidates won their respective 2012 Democratic Primary election."
 
He cited statistics from the election for Governor and NC House District 22, for Bladen and Sampson counties indicating that NC House 22 received more votes than those cast for Governor, in a sampling of Bladen County precincts, that are not split in the Democratic Primary.  While a similar sampling in Sampson County indicated a higher number of Governor votes were cast.
 
Dixon alleged, vote buying, in some instances the voter was paid in the form of cash, alcohol and other compensation, in exchange for being taken to the polls and voting for the candidate the runner was working for.  He cited other specific such transactions using John Does 1, 2 and 3.
 
"All these violations are very serious and carry felony penalties, witnesses and participants understandably desire confidentiality and immunity", he added.
 
He produced what he labeled Absentee Voting Violations that indicated more absentee ballots were mailed out in Bladen County than counties with a higher number of voters.  9,327 voters cast a ballot in Bladen, 238 were absentee mail-in ballots.  Sampson had 13,197 votes cast with only 55 absentees.  Johnston County had 36,016 votes cast with only 104 absentee ballots.  Cumberland County had 50,140 votes cast and 247 absentees.  Dixon pointed out that Bladen and Cumberland had similar number of absentee ballots but Cumberland had 5 times more total votes. In the race for county commissioner in District 1, which includes the East Arcadia area, a PAC endorsed candidate received 112 votes from absentee ballots, the non-endorsed candidate received 14.  In the District 2 race, which includes Bladenboro, the PAC endorsed candidate received 73 votes from absentee ballots, the non-endorsed candidate received 2.
 
The Election Protest prepared by Dixon describes how ballots arrive at the Board of Elections in a sealed envelope. On the back of the envelope, the voter provides his or her signature, and a witness provides his or her signature and address.  The ballots are removed and counted, but the envelopes are retained by the Board as a part of their record.  "A review of the envelopes yielded striking results.  One individual, with a Riegelwood address, who will be identified as Jane Doe, witnessed 21 absentee ballots."  He stated that 23% of the absentee ballots were witnessed by four people.
 
He concludes his Protest by stating, "The nature of felony penalties coupled with community pressure on potential witnesses underscore the need for an official Board of Elections investigation."
 
Brisson, the incumbent, defeated Dixon by an unofficial margin of 326 votes in a hard fought contest. Dixon received a total of 2,513 in Sampson and Johnston to Brisson's 1,541.  Brisson received 3,585 votes in Bladen County to Dixons 2,285.
 
Robert W. Brooks made many similar allegations in his Election Protest letter to the Board.  Beatty simply stated under irregularties his concern about the number of absentee ballots signed by two or three people.
 
The Bladen County Board of Elections has called a Special Meeting for Tuesday, May 22 at 10 AM for the preliminary consideration regarding the election protests.