The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) stood up a new commission to advise the state’s ongoing effort to modernize its election management platform.
The move aligns with the agencies’ three-phase plan to modernize the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS), according to the announcement. OSA and the State Board most recently issued a request for proposals for the second phase of the plan, which followed a request for information that gathered input from citizens and vendors.
The 22-member consortium, dubbed the Modernization of Election Data Systems (MEDS) Commission, will review public comments and add perspectives throughout the development of the new system. MEDS will also help evaluate vendor submissions, provide user-focused feedback on functionality, recommend proposals, assess security protocols, and monitor implementation, according to the announcement.
“We have a deep bench of elections professionals from all corners of this state, including professors, researchers, and election officials,” State Auditor Dave Boliek said. “It’s important that as we develop a secure, user-friendly election management system, we involve those who are on-the-ground and hear directly from North Carolina voters.”
The goal of MEDS “is to help develop a secure, user-friendly, and modernized election data management system that will meet the needs of North Carolina voters, election administrators, and candidates,” the announcement said.
Additionally, the commission will assist in a separate overhaul of North Carolina’s campaign finance reporting system to ensure it’s easier for the public to “track political spending, for candidates to comply with rules and regulations, and also reduce unintentional errors and omissions,” the announcement said.
State Auditor Boliek will chair the commission. Members include:
- Angela Hawkins, Chair, Wake County Board of Elections
- Linda Devore, Chair, Cumberland County Board of Elections
- Gerry Cohen, Member, Wake County Board of Elections
- John Sims, Chair, Orange County Board of Elections
- Derrick R. Miller, Member, New Hanover County Board of Elections
- Jamie Cox, Member, Orange County Board of Elections
- Brooks Fuller, Policy Director, Common Cause NC
- Andy Jackson, Director, Civitas Center of Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation
- Chris Cooper, Professor, Western Carolina University
- Michael Behrent, Professor, Appalachian State University
- John Crumpton, Former Lee County Manager
- Mike Cox, Pasquotank County Attorney
- Commissioner Allen Thomas, Hoke County
- Commissioner Tommy Long, Haywood County
- Derek Bowens, Durham County Elections Director
- Matthew Snyder, Watauga County Elections Director
- Leigh Anne Price, Johnston County Elections Director
- Michael Dickerson, Mecklenburg County Elections Director
- Dell Parker, Scotland County Elections Director
- Kim Blackwelder, Stanly County Elections Director
- Clifton Philbeck, Cleveland County Elections Director
