Mecklenburg Board of Elections Breaks Ranks

The significant news below comes to us from Gerry Cohen, former director of Legislative Drafting for the North Carolina General Assembly (for 31 years). (He is also former special counsel to the North Carolina General Assembly, where he provided legal and research services to the Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and majority and minority leaders. He has experience and knowledge in local government and election law, legislative processes, and constitutional law, so we pay attention to his insights. He retired in 2014.)

It comes as something of a surprise that the Mecklenburg Board of Elections, going decidedly against Republican voting-access habits and practices, has changed directions for the 2016 primary. Cohen wrote:

Mecklenburg INCREASED early voting from 723 hours in the 2012 primary to 1,224 for this March, expanded from 9 to 17 sites, and added Sunday voting which they did NOT have in the 2012 presidential primary.

Why, we wonder. Possibly because it's more convenient for Republican voters, who'll have a hot presidential primary this March in North Carolina. The fact that Democratic voters will also benefit was perhaps wholly unintended but nevertheless appreciated.

Watauga County Republican Party Chair Anne Marie Yates must forward to the state BOE two nominees as replacements for the gone boy Luke Eggers, though we don't anticipate that any possible new Watauga BOE member will be allowed to think for her/himself and vote for expanded Early Voting opportunities, like on the campus of Appalachian State University.

One could always pray.