Board of Elections Board Meeting 08/04/26

The Harnett County Board of Elections held a meeting on August 4, 2026, focusing primarily on election worker training, budget discussions, early voting staffing, and precinct consolidation. The board reviewed updated training materials and schedules for election workers and judges, including plans for hands-on training and online videos. Budget discussions clarified expenditures, including $28,500 allocated for laptops and computers used in elections, $4,000 for promotional incentives, and a total budget of $640,593 excluding salaries. The board discussed the use of a temp agency for election workers due to HR and payroll considerations and considered revisiting this arrangement. Staffing models based on past election turnout were presented to align worker deployment with voter demand, including standby workers for unexpected needs. The board approved a list of 329 appointed election workers from Democratic, Republican, and unaffiliated parties. Finally, precinct consolidation was discussed in light of population shifts and voting patterns, with plans to present recommendations at the next meeting. The board also addressed personnel matters in closed session during the meeting.