Lenoir fiascos: Repeated errors cast doubt on ‘every vote counts’ claim

ne mistake is understandable. A poll worker gets confused and a few voters get the wrong ballot — OK, lesson learned.

But when those “mistakes” stretch past that mark — and in the same race — that is an indication of a serious problem somewhere.

And that is just what the Lenoir County commissioners have at their Board of Elections — a serious problem.

Before there is another vote taken, someone needs to get a workable plan, an accountability procedure and a checklist in place so that a vote in Lenoir County means something other than a possible chance for a recount.

There is no reason for the kind of chaos that seems to have accompanied the last two Lenoir County vote-takings. The way the Board of Elections has conducted itself has been nothing short of embarrassing.

You might wonder why Wayne County voters should care what happens when a vote is taken in Lenoir. After all, this county’s ballots went to the right people.

Continued problems in Lenoir cast doubts on the validity of multi-county votes that decide who will represent Wayne and surrounding counties at the statehouse and in Washington. None of us can afford to leave those decisions to chance — or a miscounted vote.

Published in Editorials on November 24, 2006 10:19 AM