>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

I'M DAMON CIRCOSTA, I'M CHAIR OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BOARD OF ELECTIONS GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KAREN BRINSON BELL BUT I WANT TO SAY 2 THINGS BEFORE I DO.

IN NORTH CAROLINA.

OUR ELECTIONS ARE GOVERNED BY 505 CITIZENS BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS.

SECOND OUR ELECTIONS ARE RUN BY A COMPETENT INCAPABLE STAFF BOTH HERE AT THE STATE AND EVERY COUNTY THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TODAY INVOLVED WITH MAKING SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS SO WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE.

IT'S A LITTLE THANKS TO THOSE HARD WORKING INDIVIDUALS.

CAN.

>> GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU CHAIR, SICK STUFF FOR YOUR REMARKS AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.

I'M KAREN BRINSON BELL I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND NORTH CAROLINA'S CHIEF ELECTION OFFICIAL.

IN ADDITION TO CHAIRS THE COSTA.

I'M ALSO JOINED BY OUR AGENCY'S GENERAL COUNSEL PAUL COX.

ELECTION DAY IS SIGNIFICANT FOR MANY REASONS.

IT'S A TESTAMENT TO OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE RIGHT OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS TO VOTE AND HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD IT'S THE FINALE TO 2 MONTHS OF ABSENTEE BY-MAIL VOTING AND MORE THAN 2 WEEKS OF IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING.

THIS DAY WILL BE LIFE CHANGING FOR THE HUNDREDS OF CANDIDATES WHO ARE COMMITTED TO REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITIES AND JUST AS SIGNIFICANT TODAY BIPARTISANSHIP IN VOLUNTEERISM ARE ON DISPLAY AS THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS GIVE OF THEIR TIME TO WORK MORE THAN 2600 VOTING SITES.

THIS MORNING.

NEARLY EVERY POLLING PLACE ACROSS THE STATE OPENED ON TIME.

WE KNOW OF FOR DELAYS.

THE GARY SPRINT POLLING PLACE IN ROBESON COUNTY OPENED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR LATE BECAUSE THE BUILDING WAS LOCKED AND THE VOTERS DID NOT HAVE THE CORRECT ACCESS CODE TO ENTER THE BUILDING.

ADDITIONALLY 3 SITES IN COLUMBUS COUNTY WERE DELAYED IN OPENING DUE TO THE CHECK-IN COMPUTERS NOT BEING CONNECTED PROPERLY TO THE PRINTERS AND THEREFORE THE WORKERS WERE UNABLE TO PRINT THE VOTERS AUTHORIZATION TO VOTE FORMS.

WHILE IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THESE DELAYS HAVE OCCURRED THERE ARE.

THEY ARE IN NO WAY IF AREAS OR FRAUDULENT.

THESE THINGS HAPPEN.

THE COUNTY'S QUICKLY CORRECTED THE SITUATIONS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM STATE COURT STAFF.

AND RIGHT NOW ALL POLLING PLACES ARE FULLY OPERATIONAL.

THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WILL HOLD A VIRTUAL EMERGENCY MEETING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON TO DETERMINE IF ANY VOTING SHOULD BE EXTENDED AT THE SITES.

IF THE BOARD DOES EXTEND THE CLOSING TIME AT THESE SITES OR ANY OTHERS.

WE WILL NOT RELEASE RESULTS FROM THE AFFECTED COUNTIES UNTIL ALL THE PRECINCTS FINISHED VOTING.

WE WILL HOWEVER START RELEASING INITIAL RESULTS AT APPROXIMATELY 07:30PM FOR ALL OTHER COUNTIES WHERE THE POLLS CLOSE AT 07:30PM.

PLEASE REMEMBER COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS WILL FIRST UPLOAD THE ABSENTEE BY MAIL AND ONE-STOP EARLY VOTING RESULTS.

ELECTION DAY RESULTS WILL BE REPORTED ON THE STATE BOARD WEBSITE INSEE SPE .GOV AS THE RESULTS AND OTHER ELECTION MATERIALS ARE DELIVERED TO THE COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS.

BECAUSE PRECINCT OFFICIALS MUST DRIVE FROM ELECTION DAY VOTING SITES TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS OFFICES.

THE RELEASE OF ELECTION DAY RESULTS WILL NOT BE IMMEDIATE AND MAY GO LATE INTO THE NIGHT.

ALL RESULTS RELEASED ON ELECTION NIGHT ARE UNOFFICIAL.

ANY CONTESTS THAT ARE DECLARED WILL BE DONE SO BY THE MEDIA CANDIDATES OR POLITICAL SCIENTISTS.

THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND THE COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTION DO NOT DECLARE WINNERS ON ELECTION NIGHT.

POLICE KEEP THE SITUATIONS AND THE FEW INCIDENTS WE HAVE REPORTED IN PERSPECTIVE.

WE HAVE MORE THAN 2600 POLLING PLACES OPEN TODAY.

AND DELAYS OCCURRED IN A HANDFUL OF LOCATIONS.

WE HAVE BEEN VOTING SINCE EARLY SEPTEMBER WITH MORE THAN 2 MILLION BALLOTS.

CAST PRIOR TO TODAY.

TO DATE WE ONLY HAVE 15 REPORTED ALLEGATIONS OF VOTER OR ELECTION OFFICIAL INTERFERENCE OR INTIMIDATION.

AND THUS FAR THIS MORNING WE HAVE RECEIVED NO ADDITIONAL INCIDENT REPORTS THAT RISE TO THIS LEVEL.

OUR PROCESSES ARE WORKING AND WE'RE PROUD OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF NORTH CAROLINA ELECTION OFFICIALS AND THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS THAT HAVE ALL WORKED TO ENSURE WE CAN DELIVER SAFE SECURE FAIR AND ACCURATE ELECTIONS TO THE VOTERS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

WELL FIRST TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE ROOM.

IF THERE ARE ANY.

IF YOU GO TO THE MIKE PLEASE THANK YOU.

>> SORRY MIKE NAPOLI THE CARD ON PINE.

IN THOSE 15 REPORTING IN SINCE YOU HAVE INTIMIDATION OTHERWISE THINGS.

WAS IT REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO ELECTIONS OFFICIALS ON SITE AND DID THAT PROCESS TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUE IN THOSE IN THOSE INSTANCES IN THE WAY THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO.

>> WHERE THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED IT WAS REPORTED EITHER THEIR THE VOTING SITE OR IF IT OCCURRED AT THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

AND THEY HAVE NOTIFIED THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

SO THAT WE CAN INVESTIGATE IF NEEDED THEY'VE REPORTED IT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THERE YOU KNOW THE 15 HAVE ALL DIFFERENT VARIABLES SO BUT EVERYTHING WENT AS WE WOULD INTEND TO THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM.

HE SAYS THEIR QUESTIONS ONLINE OR VIRTUALLY.

>> AT THIS TIME WE GO TO OUR REPORTERS ON LINE VS TO THE PRESS ONE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS FROM COURTNEY BUNTING THE W IT ON TV.

GO AHEAD QUARTER INCH.

>> YES, GOOD MORNING.

I'M JUST CHECKING TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN HEAR ME OK.

I CAN'T 40.

OK THANK YOU I JUST WANTED TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE INCREASE INTEREST IN MAIL-IN VOTING ABSENTEE VOTING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND IF THERE'S ANY REFUND YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THAT INCREASE MAY HAVE ON THIS ELECTION.

ANY FOR SEEING CHALLENGES THERE ANY THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF THAT INCREASED INTEREST IN RESPONSE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THAT SEEMS TO BE GROWING IN POPULARITY, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH THIS YEAR COMPARED TO PAST YEARS, BUT CERTAINLY SEEMED TO BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE AWARE OF NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

>> SO WE DO OFFER 3 VOTING METHODS IN NORTH CAROLINA ABSENTEE BY MAIL IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY IN PERSON VOTING.

YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE SEEN DURING THE PANDEMIC LEAVES THAT SAW SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN FOLKS WANTING TO VOTE ABSENTEE BY MAIL.

I THINK THAT'S FOR OBVIOUS REASONS GIVEN THE PANDEMIC GIVEN THE SAFETY ISSUES GIVEN THE VULNERABLE POPULATION THAT HAD CONCERNS ABOUT VOTING IN PERSON AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

I THINK BECAUSE OF THAT EXPERIENCE THEY SAW HOW EASY A VOTING METHOD THAT IS AND MANY OPTED TO REQUEST ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR THIS ELECTION AND USE THAT AS THEIR VOTING METHOD IT CERTAINLY DID NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN THAT VOTING METHOD.

THIS ELECTION AS WE SAW DURING TWENTY-TWENTY BUT IT DID A SUBSTANTIALLY SET TO EXCEED WHAT WE SAW IN 2018.

SO I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT NORTH CAROLINIANS HAVE REALIZED IS THAT WE HAVE A SOLID PROCESS IN ABSENTEE BY-MAIL VOTING.

WE DO REQUIRE THE SIGNATURE OF THE VOTER THEY GIVE A DEN A FINE INFORMATION WHEN THEY MAKE THAT REQUEST WHEN THEY ACTUALLY VOTE THAT BALLOT AND PUT THAT IN THE RETURN ENVELOPE.

THEY SIGN A TESTING THAT THEY WERE THE VOTER AND THEY ARE WITNESSED BY 2 INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTEST THAT THEY WERE THE VOTER AND THOSE WITNESSES SIGN ALTERNATIVELY THEY CAN USE A NOTARY PUBLIC.

TO ATTEST THAT THEY WERE THE VOTER WHO MARCHED THAT BALLOT AND PUT IT INTO THE RETURN ENVELOPE.

SO YOU KNOW IT'S A VERY POPULAR VOTING METHOD THAT I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE USE OF AND A POTENTIALLY MORE SUBSTANTIAL USE.

>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR LILIANA PEARSON WITH WBTV ONLY ON THE GO AHEAD.

>> HI GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU FOR HOSTING US TODAY.

WE HAD IN INSTANCE YESTERDAY OF ONE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TAKING FINES FROM THE FLOOR OF ANOTHER SCHOOL MEMBER I WAS HOPING YOU COULD JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE WITH HIM LAST ELECTION COMMITTEE JEAN AND THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO RUN A SAFE AND SMOOTH ELECTION.

>> I WISH THAT IN MY 16 PLUS YEARS OF WORKING IN ELECTION.

I COULD SAY THERE WAS AN ELECTION WHERE SIGNS WERE NOT AN ISSUE BUT I CAN'T.

THAT IS JUST IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES UP WITH EVERY ELECTION.

WE CERTAINLY HAVE SEEN THAT THIS TIME AROUND AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT YOU KNOW THERE IS SOME ELEVATED TEMPERS AND TEMPERATURE AMONG OUR CAMPAIGNERS AND OUR CANVASSERS AND IT'S WE ASK THAT EVERYBODY JUST USE SOME CIVILITY.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE WHETHER IT'S ABOUT SIGNS OR HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THE VOTERS WHEN THEY ARE IN THE ELECTIONEERING AREA AND ABOUT VOTERS ARE WALKING TO THE OF THE POLLING SITE.

AND IT'S YOU KNOW I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN YOU KNOW INCREDIBLY OUT OF THE NORM AGAIN EVERY ELECTION WE HAVE ISSUES WITH SIGNS MOST OF THE SIGN REGULATIONS ARE ACTUALLY MONITORED BY THE ORDINANCES OF THE TOWNS AND THE COUNTIES IN WHICH THEY ARE PLACED.

BUT YEAH AND BEYOND THAT MOST OF OUR INTERACTIONS ARE ABOUT THE DISCLOSURES.

AND THEN YOU KNOW IF IT IS DISRUPTIVE AT A VOTING SITE THEN WE TRY TO INTERVENE DE-ESCALATE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN KEEP IT TO THAT.

>> THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM DANIELA SHOWS LOW WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL GO AHEAD TO KNOW.

>> HI PART ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW HOW MANY ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE CURRENTLY EITHER FOLLOWED BY DONA ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION BECAUSE NOT ALL OF THE SIGNATURES THERE EITHER.

>> NECESSARY THING FOR BUILD OUT.

>> I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME ARE ABSENTEE DATA SOMETHING YOU CAN REQUEST OF RPI IF YOU WOULD PLACE.

>> THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CASEY JONES PC JONES BETWEEN THE NEW COVID CASES.

>> HELLO THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.

MY QUESTION IS ARE THERE ANY COUNTY IS THAT YOU'RE WATCHING CLOSER THAN OTHERS FOR ANY FLORIDA, INTIMIDATION OR INTERFERENCE AND DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR OPERATIONS THERE AT ALL.

>> OUR JOB AT THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IS TO OVERSEE ALL 100 COUNTIES WE STRIVE TO GIVE THEM EQUAL SUPPORT EQUIPMENT RESOURCES, EQUAL TRAINING MATERIALS AND YOU KNOW THERE'S THERE'S AN EVERY VOTER IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY ACROSS ALL 100 COUNTIES IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY VOTER IS ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE AND YOU KNOW WE DON'T WANT THERE TO BE INTIMIDATION INTERFERENCE OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE TO OCCUR IN ANY OF OUR POLLING SITES ACROSS THE STATE AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ACROSS THE STATE TO ENSURE THAT IF NEED BE IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DE-ESCALATE A SITUATION OR REMEDY A SITUATION THAT WE CAN CALL IN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS TO HELP DO THAT BECAUSE OUR FIRST AND FOREMOST OBJECTIVE IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY ELIGIBLE NORTH CAROLINIAN IS ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE TODAY.

>> NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KATE MARTIN WITH NBC NEWS.

WANT TO GO AHEAD.

>> I THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY QUESTION REGARDING THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

I KNOW THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC YOU HAVE TO GET TO SIGNATURES AND I IMAGINE THERE'S SOME FOLKS WHO MAY NOT DO THAT ENTIRELY PROPERLY AND WONDERING IF YOU CAN KIND OF GO OVER WHAT THE CURE PROCESSES FOR THE VOTER TO GET A CHANCE TO YOU KNOW REMEDY THAT SITUATION OR HOW THAT HOW DOES THAT WORK HERE.

>> YES IN 2020 THE LEGISLATURE IN THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WORK TOO.

MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR THE PANDEMIC TO WHERE WE ONLY REQUIRED ONE WITNESS SIGNATURE AND THIS YEAR WE WENT BACK TO THE.

AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW FOR 2 WITNESSES OR ONE NOTARY OR A NOTARY PUBLIC AND IF A VOTER DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE PROPER SIGNATURES OR INFORMATION THAN WE DO HAVE A AN EXTENSIVE NUMBERED MEMO THAT OUTLINES THE CURE PROCESS.

DO YOU WANT TO GO OVER THAT AT ALL IN MORE DETAIL, OKAY HAHA OUT RIGHT OVER TO PAUL COX FOR GREATER DETAIL.

>> THIS IS THE STATE BOARD HAS OFFICIAL WRITTEN GUIDANCE IN THE FORM OF A MEMORANDUM CALLING NUMBER MEMO THAT DISCUSSES ALL OF THE WAYS THAT ABSENTEE BALLOT MAY BE EXCEPTED ARE DEFICIENT FOR SOME REASON.

AN ABSENTEE BALLOT CAN BE CURED BY THE VOTER BY AFFIDAVIT IF THEY FAILED TO SIGN THEMSELVES OR THE SIGN IN THE WRONG PLACE.

ANY OTHER DEFICIENCY ON THE BALLOT, TYPICALLY YOU KNOW SECOND WITNESS DIDN'T SIGN FOR EXAMPLE.

CAN'T BE FIXED BY AN AFFIDAVIT YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY SEND A NEW BALLOT OUT TO THE VOTER AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO YOU KNOW RESUBMIT WITH THEIR 2 WITNESSES.

>> AND THEY SHOULD BE HERE ALONG THE SIDE OF THE BALLOT.

TRACTION YOU GET AN EMAIL THAT HAS YOU KNOW THAT YOUR BALLOT WITH ACCEPTED IT WAS SUFFICIENT IN SOME WAY WOULD NOTIFY VOTERS OF THAT.

>> THE BALLOT TRAX SYSTEM TRACKS WHERE WHERE YOUR BALLOT IS IN THE TRANSIT SO IT WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE BALLOT ARRIVES OF THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE MAIL SYSTEM.

THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS THEMSELVES WOULD REACH OUT TO YOU.

IF YOUR BALLOT WERE DEFICIENT.

SO IF A VOTER'S BALLOT THE FOLLOWING THERE THEY WOULD THEY WOULD LET IF IF THEY HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER THEY CALL YOU THERE WAS CERTAINLY E-MAIL YOU ARE IF YOU HAVE YOUR E-MAIL AND SEND YOUR LETTER IF THEY DON'T HAVE A PHONE OR EMAIL.

>> THANK YOU.

WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THE PHONE THIS TIME, IT'S PRESS FOR AND ASKED THE QUESTION.

I DON'T SEE A NEED TO QUESTION STRUCTURE BUILT INTO THE QUEUE.

>> WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S ATTENDANCE TODAY AND WE JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GET OUT AND VOTE OUR POLLING PLACES ARE OPEN UNTIL 07:30PM AND POTENTIALLY LONGER AT THESE FEW DELAYS PENDING THE DECISION OF THE STATE BOARD.

THANK YOU TO OUR ELECTION OFFICIALS FOR THEIR.

THEIR PARTICIPATION TODAY, THE AT THE DAYS ARE LONG BUT WE OF THE THEIR COMMITMENT IS EVEN LONGER SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT THEY DO AND THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK OF OUR COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS.

THANK YOU.