New state elections board embarrasses with shameful treatment of executive director
Fears about the trouble that lies ahead for North Carolina now that judges have okayed the scheme to give auditor Dave Boliek control over the state Board of Elections, were confirmed last week by the cruel and classless behavior of Boliek’s new right-wing appointees.
After firing longtime elections board executive director Karen Brinson Bell – a rigorously nonpartisan professional who worked miracles on a shoestring budget and won national acclaim for her work to help western North Carolinians vote after Hurricane Helene – the new board members wouldn’t even allow her to say farewell.
When she asked to say a few words at her final board meeting, Boliek’s new appointees adjourned before she could say a word and walked out of the room.
Unbowed by the shabby treatment, Brinson Bell stayed behind to deliver a powerful message to the news media and other witnesses.
The bottom line: For nearly six years, Karen Brinson Bell dedicated her career to strengthening our democracy and exemplifying public service at its finest – two concepts about which the men who fired her haven’t a clue.
https://ncnewsline.com/2025/05/12/new-state-elections-board-embarrasses-with-shameful-treatment-of-executive-director/