Board of Elections to hear Asheville council and sheriff challenges

The Buncombe County Board of Elections has scheduled a special meeting for Jan. 20 to hear formal challenges to two candidates in the county’s primary elections: Asheville vice mayor and City Council candidate Antanette Mosley, and Buncombe County sheriff candidate Victor “Vic” Morman. The outcome could change who appears on local primary ballots and raise fresh questions about residency and voter eligibility in Asheville.

State elections officials began scrutinizing Mosley on Dec. 15 after records and reporting showed inconsistencies in residency and property-tax claims across state lines. That review has continued into January; a state board spokesperson confirmed Jan. 8 that a state-level investigation remains ongoing. Under North Carolina law, candidates must be eligible to vote for the office they seek, and only Asheville residents can vote in City Council contests. Those legal requirements are central to the Mosley challenge.

Mosley’s City Council candidacy was not formally disputed until the Jan. 8 deadline for filing challenges. Former city employee and one-time Council candidate John Miall submitted documents to the Buncombe County Board of Elections citing reports about multiple residences and voting history. Miall was not immediately available for comment. Mosley directed inquiries about the matter to her attorney, Asheville-based Eugene Ellison.

The sheriff’s contest has drawn a separate challenge related to Victor “Vic” Morman; the Board will address both disputes at the Jan. 20 meeting. Details of the allegation against Morman were included in the filings to the county board and will be part of the public hearing.

For Buncombe County voters, the disputes touch on core elements of local governance: who may hold office, the integrity of the voting rolls, and the administration of a contested primary season. If the county board upholds either challenge, it could alter candidate lists ahead of the primary and trigger additional review by state authorities. That process also carries reputational consequences for incumbents and challengers alike, shaping voter confidence as campaigns proceed.

The upcoming hearing will follow established procedures at the county board level. Residents interested in the proceedings should monitor notices from the Buncombe County Board of Elections for meeting times and public access options.

What happens next will matter for Asheville’s City Council composition and for the sheriff’s race across the county. The board’s decisions on Jan. 20 will determine whether these eligibility questions are resolved locally or move into further administrative or legal review, and they will set the timetable for any changes voters need to know before casting ballots in the primary.