RALEIGH — Two of the three Democratic members of the Robeson County Board of Elections face the threat of removal when the State Board of Elections meets on Sept. 5.
On that day the state board’s members will hear complaints filed against county board Chairperson Tiffany Pequise-Powers and member Karen Nance, according to an agenda provided by the state board. The complaints were filed Aug. 20 by Shannon resident Julius Locklear. Locklear says in his complaints that Powers and Nance violated state law and state board policy against public comments or actions and social media postings that can be interpreted as an endorsement of a political candidate.
“I am looking forward to discussing these issues with the State Board of Elections,” Powers said Wednesday.
The hearing will be in the boardroom on the third floor of the Dobbs Building at 430 N. Salisbury St. in Raleigh.
It will take place five days before a do-over election for the N.C. District 9 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. County elections boards decide whether or not absentee and provisional ballots meet requirements and are counted, and the loss of two members could disrupt those actions in Robeson County.
It takes three members to form a quorum of the county board. In the absence of a quorum, particularly in the case of a federal election, it is conceivable that State Board of Elections personnel would be sent to Robeson County to perform the county board’s elections duties.
The county board already is operating without one of its five members. Olivia Oxendine, one of two Republican members, resigned via a letter sent Aug. 21 to the State Board of Elections.
The state board acknowledged receipt of Oxendine’s resignation letter early on Aug. 22.
Oxendine resigned after a complaint was filed with State Board of Elections earlier this month. The complaint, heard by the county Elections Board during its Aug. 14 meeting, charged Oxendine with having multiple signs from the Dan Bishop campaign in her yard. Photos of the signs were attached to the complaint.
Bishop is the Republican candidate in the Sept. 10 special election for the N.C. District 9 seat. He is running against Democrat Dan McCready and two other candidates. The special election was ordered by the State Board of Elections over concerns from the November 2018 election were tainted by fraudulent absentee ballots cast in Bladen County.
Her letter reads in part, “Safeguarding the electoral processes and systems is important work. To that end, I deeply appreciate having had the privilege of serving the citizens of Robeson County.”
It will be up to the Robeson County Republican Party to find a replacement for Oxendine, according to party Chairman Phillip Stephens.
“The Executive Committee of the Republican Party will convene to recommend a replacement,” he said. “This generally involves a search and consultation with candidates and executive committee members, then a candidate will be submitted for approval.”
The candidate must be submitted to the State Board of Elections for approval. Stephens did not say when the selection process will begin and how long it will take.
