Members of the Cumberland County Board of Elections were sworn in for their two-year terms at a meeting Tuesday.
Irene Grimes is the board chair; James Baker, Linda Devore, Derek Edmonds and Billy R. King are its other members.
Baker was not present at the ceremony and will be sworn in later. The two-year terms will expire in July 2025.
A state statute requires the North Carolina State Board of Elections to appoint four members to county boards — two from each leading party. The governor appoints the fifth member, who serves as the chair.
Each county board of elections operates under the statutory authority of the State Board of Elections.
At the meeting following the swearing-in ceremony, the board approved splitting the Alderman precinct into three separate precincts.
“Alderman currently has almost 5,400 registered voters,” Grimes said. “It is one of our largest precincts, and it is rapidly growing, and we are suggesting that we split it in half as much as we can.”
Grimes said the plan is to keep 2,133 voters at J.D. Pone Recreation Center, move 1,682 voters to the Gray’s Creek Middle School polling station, and move 1,580 voters to Gray’s Creek Fire Department.
Board members were supportive of the change.
“The typical size precinct in this county is around 2,000 registered voters,” Devore said. “And with the growth in this area, we’re likely to be at that point even with two precincts. So, I think it’s good planning and a good idea.”
Affected voters will be sent a letter notifying them of the changes.
Also Tuesday, the board decided to hold its regular meetings at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. The next meeting will be a special meeting to discuss the early voting plan. It is scheduled for 5 p.m. July 25.
Meetings are open to the public and held in the E. Newton Smith Center at 227 Fountainhead Lane in Fayetteville.
For more information about the Cumberland County Board of Elections, call 910-678-7733 or go to the Board of Elections website.
