Buncombe County board approves new election site access rules
Buncombe’s elections board kept member access in place but added limits on high-security spaces, after a dispute over surprise visits and chain-of-custody safeguards.
Buncombe County election officials drew a sharp line between transparency and chain-of-custody security at a tense board meeting, approving new rules for access to election offices, the warehouse where voting equipment is stored and other high-security spaces.
The decision leaves board members able to enter election facilities, but it adds safeguards for the most sensitive areas, including the 50 Coxe Ave. warehouse in Asheville and rooms that require extra credentials. The debate focused on whether board members should be able to show up unannounced or whether visits should be scheduled in advance.
Corinne Duncan, the county’s elections director, argued that the system already includes multiple layers of security and that board oversight is only one part of protecting election integrity. Other board members pushed back, saying the board has a legal and ethical duty to observe operations independently and should not be limited by staff-driven restrictions.
Supporters of broader access said unannounced inspections can reveal problems that scheduled visits could miss. Those who favored tighter limits warned that surprise access could interrupt daily work, deepen tensions between staff and board members and create the wrong impression for voters who are already wary of election administration.
The disagreement landed at a sensitive moment for Buncombe County, where election oversight has become a more politically charged issue heading into the 2026 election cycle. North Carolina law gives each county a five-member board of elections, with two Democrats, two Republicans and a chair appointed by the state auditor. In Buncombe County, the board members reported in July 2025 were Glenda Weinert, Courtney Blossman, Mary Ann Braine, Sally Stein and Jake Quinn.
State election guidance also matters here. North Carolina uses paper ballots, giving counties a paper trail that can be audited or recounted, and county boards are responsible for conducting local elections, running voting sites and maintaining voter registration lists. Buncombe County’s elections warehouse at 50 Coxe Ave. has already been used for official election business, including a publicly posted recount meeting scheduled there for Nov. 19, 2024.
The access fight comes as the county is already preparing for the 2026 general election. Buncombe County said it was gathering public input on a 12-site early voting plan, with review set for June 23, a final vote expected July 14 and the plan due to the state by July 24.
The county’s elections office said more than 30,700 ballots were cast during the 2026 primary early-voting period, topping the county’s 2024 presidential primary early turnout by more than 4,600. Buncombe County also reported 54,875 ballots cast in the 2026 primary across 80 polling places, a sign that the board’s latest rules will shape operations in a county where every procedure around storage, access and observation now carries real weight.
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