Director: Everything running smoothly at Burke Board of Elections

Burke County Board of Elections Director Kenny Rhyne said things were going smoothly Monday afternoon, a day before one of the most contentious national elections in U.S. history.

Things were quiet – for now.

Early voting ended Saturday, and front-desk staffers had to turn away a few folks who thought they could still cast their ballots Monday.

All but one truck delivering Burke’s DS200 tabulation machines to the county’s 31 precincts had deployed their cargoes and returned to the office shortly after lunchtime.

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and those in line by 7:30 will not be turned away.

Rhyne said there was a tinge of nervous anticipation for election workers during this brief period of calm before the storm.

“Everybody is trying to be perfect,” Rhyne said. “Because we’re a swing state (in the presidential election), a lot of eyes are going to be on us.”

Locally, several board of education seats are being contested. and four candidates are vying for three seats on the county’s board of commissioners.

Rhyne said reports from all the precincts indicate things are going as expected, including at the one voting site that suffered damage from Hurricane Helene last month.

The Smyrna Baptist Church in the Upper Creek precinct was damaged in the storm, but FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) workers stepped in and built a temporary polling spot complete with a wooden floor. The site is being guarded 24 hours a day and will be ready to roll in the morning, Rhyne said.

“I checked on that site Saturday and things are going well,” Rhyne said. “FEMA did a great job helping the county out and saved the county a lot of money. Everyone has been so helpful. The National Guard even called and asked if we needed assistance.”

Rhyne said he expects Election Day to be busy despite the fact so many Burke voters have already cast their ballots during early voting. Rhyne said approximately 57% of those registered voted early. “If all 43% show up (Tuesday) it will be wide-open,” he laughed.

Burke’s statistics mirror those in the western half of the state, Rhyne said. During a morning meeting with officials across North Carolina, he learned 57 to 58% of voters in the west had taken advantage of early voting, compared to around 50% in eastern counties.

“Early voting was very busy,” Rhyne said.

Rhyne said the board of elections transmits early voting totals first, as soon as the polls close on Tuesday. It usually takes about an hour for the first vote totals to start appearing on the State Board of Elections website. Votes from election day are transmitted to the state after the early voting totals are finished.

The director added folks need to remember to bring a photo ID with them to vote, and to be sure you vote in your own precinct.

The state board of elections dashboard can be found at er.ncsbe.gov.