The North Carolina State Board of Elections dismissed complaints against a Jackson County elections official over alleged ethnically and religiously insensitive remarks, but agreed to reissue guidance instructing elections officials statewide to not talk about politics at polling sites.
Jackson County Board of Elections chair Bill Thompson was the subject of two complaints from Jackson County poll workers, both of whom said Thompson appeared at an early voting site in February and started chatting with them.
According to the complaints, when Thompson was made aware that one poll worker was native to Germany, Thompson said he would not want to go to the country “because of the Islamic invasion that made Germany way too dangerous and not safe.”
The complaints said Thompson, a registered Republican, then added that he would not trust Germans. “They might do it again!” Thompson allegedly said. Both poll workers said they and other witnesses understood Thompson to be referring to the Holocaust.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the State Board of Elections, board members voted 4-1 to dismiss the complaints, with the majority saying the comments were inappropriate, but did not rise to the level of a violation of the board’s administrative rules or state election law.
Board member Jeff Carmon, a registered Democrat, cast the only dissenting vote. “A chairman should not be making those statements,” Carmon said. “It brings into question the dignity and impartiality of his ability to serve on the board.”
The board then voted unanimously to reissue guidance to every county board of elections about how members should conduct themselves at polling places and on social media.
“Probably not a bad idea before the major elections,” Board Chair Francis De Luca said at Wednesday’s meeting, referring to November’s midterms. “Because there will be people doing and saying stupid things that can get themselves in trouble.”
Thompson did not attend Wednesday’s meeting in Raleigh. He did not immediately respond to NC Local’s request for comment.