How an under-the-radar GOP official is shaping local voting plans in North Carolina

After Republicans shifted key election authorities to State Auditor Dave Boliek, Democrats and voting rights activists have criticized his involvement in early voting site discussions.

North Carolina county officials drawing up their early voting plans for this fall’s midterm elections are contending with a new power player this year: the state auditor.

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In the lame-duck period after the 2024 election, Republican legislators voted to strip incoming Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of his authority over the State Board of Elections and give it to the incoming state auditor, Dave Boliek, who had flipped the office for Republicans that year.

Once an under-the-radar statewide position focused on monitoring state finances, the state auditor’s office is now taking an involved role in county-level election planning. Boliek and his staff are soliciting information and weighing in on counties’ early voting plans for the November general election, offering feedback and suggesting changes.