On the same day Governor Pat McCrory signed sweeping election changes into law, the Watauga County Board of Elections made several decisions that raised the ire of democrats in western North Carolina.
The three-member Board, with a 2-to-1 Republican majority, voted to close the early voting site on the Appalachian State campus. The Board also consolidated the three voting sites in Boone into one polling place. That means more than 9,000 voters will vote at one site. The next most populous polling place in the county has fewer than 5,000 voters.
Democrats spoke out against the changes, saying the decision was politically motivated.
A similar charge is being levied at McCrory and Republican leaders in the state legislature. Opponents say the law he signed that shortens the early voting period and ends a program that pre-registers young voters is unlawful.
Supporters of the new law say it will increase voter confidence in the electoral system.
