Board of Elections certifies Watauga County 2019 elections
November 15, 2019
Dustin Hicks, Loretta Clawson and Nancy LaPlaca can now officially join the Boone Town Council.
Director of the Watauga County Board of Elections, Matt Snyder, looks on as members of the board sign documents to certify the election.
These names are a shift from previous unofficial results, which showed Virginia Roseman serving instead of LaPlaca.
Friday at 11 a.m., Watauga County’s Board of Elections board members and office staff certified elections for Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and Seven Devils in the County Canvass.
Matt Snyder, director of the board of elections, said this year’s election ran smoothly. He said poll workers did a great job and officials’ recording of names and votes matched the computers.
“We didn’t have any delays at any of the one-stop sites or any of the election day precincts. They were up and running for the entire time without any issues. And (there were) no big election related issues or questions about validity or accuracy (of votes cast),” Snyder said.
Members of the Watauga County Board of Elections sign documents to certify this year’s elections, which include races in Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and Seven Devils.
Marv Williamsen, secretary of the board of elections and former associate vice chancellor for international programs at App State, said the board prepares its staff and volunteers well by looking for problems and preparing for them in advance.
“This is a well-oiled, smooth machine, and the payoff is that on election day, when things can go wrong, people are prepared,” Williamsen said. “In our country and this day and age, we have to be prepared for all kinds of exotic developments.”
Williamsen also said he is glad to see so many students engaged in the voting process.
“For the first time you (vote), you’re 18, you go through that process, you don’t have any guidance or parents holding your hand through the process, it’s easy to make a mistake. For students to take the time and pay attention and get registered correctly, that’s really an important preparation for life,” Williamsen said.
Snyder said he encourages people to check their registration for next year’s election and come to the board of elections office, located in the courthouse, or look online if they have questions.
“I have one command: vote,” Williamsen said.
The new members will be sworn in in December.
