Elections board argues over new director

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Elections today appointed the county’s elections supervisor as its new interim elections director.

At the meeting, the board members decided to send a nomination to the State Board of Elections for Derek Bowens to keep the job full time, but not everyone thinks he is qualified. Board member Tannis Nelson disagreed with the other two members of the board to nominate Bowens as the new director.

The State Board of Elections fired Marvin McFadyen as the director after the county board filed a petition for termination for reasons including workplace conduct and McFadyen’s handling of November’s election.

New Hanover County Board of Elections Chair John Ferrante thinks Bowens is more than qualified to take over the position.

“I’ve thought that for a while,” Ferrante said. “I think he has the strong support of the state. I think he’s got the support of the county. I think he’s got the support of the staff in the office which to me is one of the most important things.”

But Nelson disagrees. Nelson says they need somebody with more maturity than Bowens.

“It’s very rude to talk when another board member is talking,” Nelson snapped while beginning to speak, because Ferrante and Bowens were talking to each other at the same time. “It has been reported to me that Mr. Bowens has had the same training from the State Board of Elections as Mr. McFadyen had. Also, as I stated earlier when we were considering him for interim director, I have also received a reports of juvenile behavior in the office.”

Nelson also said Bowens lacks the amount of experience that’s listed as a requirement for the position. On the New Hanover County website, a board of elections director is required to have at least seven years of experience. Nelson then explained some examples of Bowen’s behavior.

“It’s things like placing dead bugs on people’s shoulders, dead bugs in desks, placing little mice around to scare people,” Nelson said.

The state has ten days to decide whether Bowens will become the full-time director. Bowens wouldn’t comment on the remarks made in the meeting.

“I think that today the staff, without me knowing, submitted a letter to Chairman Ferrante in regards to my qualifications and their desires, and I’ll let that speak to what was stated,” Bowens said.