Columbus County residents won’t have the option to vote on Sunday ahead of the March 3 primary election.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday rejected a plan for the county to offer early-voting on Sunday, February 15. The 3-2 vote was split along party lines, with the Republican majority opposing the plan.
Republican board chairman Francis X. De Luca told reporters at the meeting that poll workers should be allowed to rest on Sundays. He also said that Sunday voting approved by the state board couldn’t be retracted in the future.
“I don’t think we should be voting on Sunday,” De Luca said. “I know lots of people who do nothing on Sunday because that’s the Lord’s day.”
Sunday voting has long been controversial. Some Black voters, many of whom have historically supported Democratic candidates, participate in churches’ “souls to the polls” events on Sunday.
Jeff Carmon, a Democrat who has served on the state elections board since 2019, said he received “numerous” emails from Republican and moderate voters who said they support Sunday voting.
“I think everyone understands that regardless of your political affiliation, you don’t have to vote on Sunday, but it should be made available,” he said.
Jillian McPherson-Edge, Republican chair of the Columbus County Board of Elections, voted with Democrats in November to support early voting on Sunday. She told the Border Belt Independent on Wednesday that she was in favor of giving voters—particularly business owners, seniors, and working-class families—an extra day to cast ballots. But she said the lack of Sunday voting likely won’t have a major impact.
“Was I upset? No, I don’t get upset about things like that,” McPherson-Edge said of the state board’s decision. “I’m indifferent. I feel like everybody can make time to vote. It could possibly be a bit of an inconvenience, but that shouldn’t stop anybody from going out to vote.”
Ahead of the 2024 primary election, Columbus County offered early voting on Sunday during the first week of early voting. It had one of the highest daily turnout rates of the week, with 130 ballots cast, according to state election results.
Columbus County’s election board was one of 12 across the state that did not agree unanimously on an early-voting schedule, forcing the state board to step in. Local boards in seven of those counties, including Columbus, disagreed on Sunday voting.
Members of the Columbus County board did not attend Tuesday’s meeting in Raleigh. But members of some other counties’ boards spoke about what led to split votes.
Danny Moody, Republican chair of the Harnett County elections board, said he was against Sunday voting because fewer voters have cast ballots than on other days. Board member Betsy McCormick, a Democrat, said she supported Sunday voting because she wanted to maintain the existing schedule in an effort to avoid confusing voters.
“The growing popularity of early voting is a sign that efforts should be ramped up, especially for those unable to vote during the week,” McCormick said.
Benjamin Lanier, a Democrat who serves on the Greene County elections board, said Sunday voting is important in low-wealth rural areas with limited public transportation.
“While Sunday is recognized by many as the Lord’s day, it is important to note that providing the option to vote on Sunday does not compel anyone to do so,” he wrote. “Rather, it ensures that citizens who are otherwise unable to vote during the workweek or standard early voting hours are not disenfranchised. Faith and civic duty are not in conflict; in fact, many faith traditions affirm participation in democratic processes as an extension of moral responsibility and stewardship of community.”