New Hanover County Board of Elections explains that there was ‘no delay’ on election night

WILMINGTON, NC  (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Elections explains that on election night there was no delay in the counting and upload process, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The following is a statement from Rae Hunter-Havens, Director of the New Hanover County Board of Elections:

On Tuesday, November 5, the New Hanover County Board of Elections completed its count of ballots cast during Early Voting and on Election Day as part of the 2024 general election, with more than 72 percent of eligible residents in the county participating in the electoral process.

Polls officially closed at 7:30 p.m., per state statutes. However, any voter in line as of this 7:30 p.m. deadline was eligible to stay in line and cast their vote. The final votes were cast at approximately 9:30 p.m.

The closing process took two hours to complete as staff processed the large volume of votes cast during early voting. Once all machines were closed, Board of Elections staff began uploading voting results to the State Board of Elections in large batches, with periodic data checks under the supervision of two bipartisan board members to ensure accuracy and transparency.

The combined results from Election Day, Early Voting and previously processed absentee votes were transmitted to the State Board of Elections at 11:49 p.m. and there was no delay in the counting and upload process.

Additionally, there are approximately 1,500 absentee ballots scheduled for approval and counting on November 14, along with 1,912 provisional ballots received during in-person Early Voting and on Election Day.

Counting absentee and provisional ballots following Election Day is standard protocol. All absentee ballots received by Thursday, October 31 were approved by the Board of Elections as part of the absentee board review meetings held through Monday, November 4. All additional absentee ballots received on Friday, November 1 through the 7:30 p.m. Election Day deadline will be reviewed at the supplemental absentee board review meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 14.

Previously, the county’s Board of Elections unanimously approved a date of November 14 for the final count and has notified the public.

This post-Election count of absentee ballots is a standard procedure across the state. All absentee ballots that were received on time by the legal deadline of 7:30 p.m. on Election Day will be included in the final count.

Working through this volume of data is a sizable undertaking, and we are grateful for the public’s patience in this process. We would also like to express our appreciation for the tireless dedication of our Board of Elections staff, poll workers, judges and other officials to ensure accuracy and fairness throughout the election.