CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Less than two months before the election, and there will plenty of new faces overseeing elections across the state of North Carolina.
"We do have a full staff in all of our counties, but I will say we have had significant turnover," Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections, said on WCNC Charlotte's Flashpoint.
Over the past five years, 63 of North Carolina's 100 county election directors have either resigned or retired. Of those, Brinson said 34 are brand new.
"They've never been the county elections director and there's added pressure to being at the helm of these operations," she said.
Brinson Bell describes these officials as committed public servants but blames heated political rhetoric for the turnover.
"This profession has been under attack and folks don't realize the sacrifices that people make in order to uh serve the community," Bell said.
Michael Dickerson has served as the director of elections in Mecklenburg County for decades. Despite the rhetoric, he said his team feels supported by the community.
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"So we're very excited and very appreciative of the enthusiasm the voters of this county have shown," Dickerson said.
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Bell encourages voters to thank a poll worker this campaign season.
"If we continue to see a difficult environment for folks to work in and serve their public, um then I'm afraid we will continue to see turnover," she said.
Contact Ben Thompson at bthompson@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.