Wake elections board now led by Republicans after state-level shift
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Republicans now hold a 3-2 majority on the Wake County Elections Board.
- Angela Hawkins, a Republican, was appointed chair amid statewide changes.
- Legislators shifted appointment power from the governor to the state auditor.
A new Republican majority and chairperson controls the Wake County Board of Elections for the first time in nearly a decade.
The five-person board will now be overseen by Angela Hawkins, a Republican serving her fourth term on the local board. Republicans hold a 3-2 majority after recent statewide changes.
“As Chair, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency, ensuring that every step of our election process, from voter registration and ballot counting to audits, remains open, verifiable and accountable to the public,” Hawkins said in a news release. “I look forward to working collaboratively with all Board members over the next two-year term to support and strengthen these vital efforts.”
Previously, the State Board of Elections appointed two Republicans and two Democrats from a list of local political parties for each of the state’s 100 county boards. The governor then appointed a chair to each board. Governors normally choose chairs from their own political party, which had given Democrats a majority since 2016.
But the N.C. General Assembly stripped Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of his appointments to the State Board of Elections, instead giving them to State Auditor Dave Boliek, a Republican.
Boliek and the state Board of Elections appointed new members and chairs to the local boards of elections this summer, giving the boards 3-2 Republican majorities.
Who is on the Wake County Board of Elections?
Hawkins joins three returning members to the Wake County board: Democrats Erica Porter and Gerry Cohen and fellow Republican and former Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly.
Steven Long, an attorney and former UNC System Board of Governors member, is a Republican appointed to his first term.
The five members were sworn-in this week, and Cohen was named the board secretary.
Filing for the 2025 municipal elections has officially ended.
Local boards of elections appoint voting-precinct judges and chief judges, assistants and other election officers, investigate voting irregularities and oversee all election challenges. They also select early voting sites, approve absentee ballots, select voting equipment and canvass election returns.
