North Carolina 2024: Vote Counting and Election Certification Processes
The administration of elections in North Carolina falls under the oversight of the State Board of Elections, which has decision-making authority on election processes. But underlying executive control sits with the Governor, who has the power to appoint the State Board of Elections, as well as the Chair of each County Board of Elections. Were the governorship to be held by an anti-democracy actor, this could have drastic ramifications in all areas of election administration.
This report provides a detailed look at the vote counting and certification processes that govern North Carolina’s elections. This reporting and analysis is intended to build confidence in our election system, and in shining a light on potential vulnerabilities, allow pro-democracy advocates and partners to monitor elections, target corrective action, and, in turn, protect the integrity of our elections.
We’re monitoring for any changes implemented to the post-vote process to accommodate challenges brought by Helene’s impact, and will update materials where necessary.
In this report you will find:
Details about each step in the post-vote process, including tabulation, canvassing, and certification.
An expected timeline for post-vote processes like tabulation and certification. You can also subscribe to a Google Calendar of these key dates here.
A library cataloging 498 North Carolina election officials who were reviewed for anti-democracy activity. Of these 498 officials reviewed, 51 had concerning findings in their background — about 10 percent. Among these findings were anti-democracy activities and support for election subversion. See the full analysis here, including counties of concern.
An overview of potential vulnerabilities, including the central role of the executive in North Carolina’s elections. We’re also tracking the potential of delay tactics from contests, protests, and recounts, that could unduly delay the results of the election, though we are confident that current protections in the system can stand up to these subversion attempts.
For a high-level summary of this report, please see our one-pager here.
