The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved a plan Tuesday for early voting sites in Guilford County, despite worries about access.
The decision came after the High Point City Council approved a resolution on Monday calling for Washington Terrace Park to be included as a location. The move followed last year’s split vote by Guilford County’s Board of Elections, which did not unanimously adopt a plan.
A proposal by the Republican majority on that board excluded the space.
Several residents said at a recent High Point City Council meeting that the location was a vital site for Black communities in the area.
“Relocating or eliminating this early voting site would place an undue and disproportionate burden on its residents, many of whom are elderly, working class, or without reliable transportation, thereby creating barriers to the fundamental right to vote," said Temple Memorial Baptist Church Rev. Jamarcus Bunn.
According to a county official, Washington Terrace Park was used as an early voting site in the primaries between 2012 and 2024, except in 2022 due to COVID restrictions.
Despite the concerns, the Republican-led state Board of Elections voted 3-2 to approve the county’s proposal that excluded the park.
The decision also removed UNC Greensboro and North Carolina A&T as early voting sites, leading to a confrontation with students who supported keeping them.
Democratic Board Member Jeff Carmon voted against adopting the plan. He said removing the sites creates division ahead of the midterm election.
“These students are saying, ‘We want our site. We want to engage with the process.’ I don't think we should do anything but support that," Carmon said.
North Carolina law says that when county boards can’t reach a unanimous decision, the state has the final say.