Well over 50 voters showed up on August 6, 2025 at the Rowan County Elections Board to advocate for Sunday and Saturday voting to be included in the Municipal Early Voting calendar. All speaking during public comments requested Plan C, a plan that included an additional Saturday and Sunday in addition to the 13 state mandated days. Others attending showed their support for Plan C.

Democratic Board member Kenneth Stutts made a motion for Plan C and Catrelia Hunter joined him to vote for this plan. The 3 Republican members, Dave Collins, Elaine Hewitt, and John Leatherman, voted against Plan C and only proposed plans that either excluded Sunday altogether, or excluded the Saturday, and while keeping a Sunday, cut a total of 12 hours from the entire M-F voting days. Neither Democrats Hunter or Stutts were willing to cut an hour from each weekday, indicating their belief that this could make it more difficult for working people to get to the polls, particularly as not all voters work 9-5 and many work outside of Rowan County.

Consequently, the NC State Elections Board will now make a decision for Rowan since state law says that if a local Elections Board is not unanimous, the matter moves to the state level.

Things to note:

• The NC Legislature has changed the makeup of our County Elections Boards and all local boards now have 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats.
• At a time when many citizens are asking representatives of the people to stand firm for voters, both Hunter and Stutts stood up for the right to an accessible voting calendar for ALL voters. At one point, Hunter reminded Hewitt that it is not the Board’s position to decide what time of the day the Board thinks a citizen should vote, rather it is the Board’s responsibility to provide the best voting calendar for ALL voters.
• With the change in the Board, new chair, Republican Dave Collins, adjusted the customary agenda to end the meeting with public comments AFTER the board took its vote and decided on a calendar. Democrat Stutts proposed that public comments precede the vote since it was obvious that there were many people present who expected to be heard. The agenda was amended in the favor of the public.
• Realizing that customary procedures could change with a new Board, the 50 plus in attendance brought index cards with their choice of plan. Individual voters added their signatures to their choice. All index cards of those who had them were collected and given to the Board.
• This proactive action was important as only about 20 fit in the small room chosen for a public meeting while the 30 plus who couldn’t fit were ushered to a larger room that did not have access to sound from the board meeting until after public comments were also completed.
• Initially Chair Collins proposed that since he was not willing to hear the same reasons from different people that each side should choose one spokesperson. This did not sit well with those in attendance and all individuals who had signed up were allowed to speak. Collins provided a maximum of 15 minutes total to hear from the many in attendance. He eventually allowed some to speak from the other room, after being informed that they were unable to hear what was being discussed in the small Board Room. Public comments appeared to not exceed Collins’ 15 minute limit.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE AS THE PROCESS CONTINUES TO THE STATE LEVEL

The 4 Plans Initially Presented to the Public:

• Plan A: 13 days Includes (1) Saturdays – Beginning Thursday, October 16th and ending Saturday, November 1st, Monday through Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Saturday, November 1st – 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (*Includes only legally required dates and times.)
• Plan B: 14 days Includes (2) Saturdays – Beginning Thursday, October 16th and ending Saturday, November 1st, Monday through Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Saturday, October 18th, and November 1st – 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Plan C: 15 days Includes (2) Saturdays and (1) Sunday Beginning Thursday, October 16th and ending Saturday, November 1st, Monday through Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, October 18th, and November 1st – 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. -Sunday, October 19th – 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Plan D: 17 days Includes (3) Saturdays and (2) Sundays – Beginning Thursday, October 16th and ending Saturday, November 1st, Monday through Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, October 18th, October 25th, and November 1st – 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Sunday, October 19th, and October 26th – 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Two Nanas, Pam & Nan