Former Guilford County Commissioner Alan Branson – who’s currently a candidate for the at-large county commissioner seat – filed a complaint against the means used by Guilford County and Guilford County Schools to promote the $1.7 billion school bond referendum that voters approved in the May primary election.
On Thursday, June 30, the North Carolina State Board of Elections did the exact same thing that the Guilford County Board of Elections did a few weeks earlier with the same complaint – voted it down 3-to-2 along party lines.
Branson, a Republican, lost his appeal to the state board after the board debated the issue and listened to the evidence for about an hour and 15 minutes as part of an NC State Board of Elections meeting that addressed several other issues as well. The board’s three Democrats voted the complaint down.
Branson’s complaint was an effort to stop the certification of the massive school bond referendum by county and state election officials. It’s illegal in the state of North Carolina for public bodies like Guilford County or its school system to use taxpayer money or public resources to promote the passage of a bond referendum. Guilford County’s website leading up to the election portrayed the benefits of the bonds in glowing, appealing terms and downplayed the fact that the county’s taxpayers will be paying back about $2.5 billion – the $1.7 billion plus interest – for 20 years.
Branson also questioned the legality of some promotional pamphlets that pushed for passage of the bonds that he said were paid for using taxpayer funds.
Branson said after the vote that, unlike the Guilford County Board of Elections, the state board did at least look at the evidence. He said he still can’t understand how rational people can see the way the county and schools presented the bonds and not realize the obvious attempt to push for passage using taxpayer resources.
State law does allow counties and school systems to “educate” the public about bond referendums as long as they do not promote those bonds while doing so.
What did you expect? There was no way spend thrift democrats are going to upset the apple cart regardless of the evidence. Just look at the farce in Washington on the January 6 witch hunt.
Is this the two same election boards that allowed N.C. State CONSTITUTIONAL ELECTION LAWS to be broken in 2020? Surprise surprise surprise!
Commies? You clearly have little understanding of reality. But good for you for using your big words in your name. lol
Hey Chris! Big words? Your ignorance is astounding! Only a woke snowflake would respond with such weakness but thank you for using your big words… now if you would like to really show off, DISPROVE WHAT I WROTE COMMIE! POS!
Just thieves watching over other thieves. What did you expect, something different?
This site has published a list of NC elected officials. Here, or on the City/County website; you can find published names, addresses, & phone # of all the City & County elected officials.
So it is easy enough to phone, write, email, or VISIT any of our local representatives. Furthermore, their home address & phone can be found on line.
Our Democrat Atty General of the U.S., Merrick Garland, has not prosecuted those who have demonstrated at Supreme Court Justice’s homes. Josh Stein, our NC Democrat Attorney General, has not weighed in on this subject.
Wherever you have liberals, you have bogus decisions not based upon law or fact, but upon advancing the liberal agenda.
There are election laws in print, but when the Governor appoints three Democrats and two Republicans, it is not about election law; it is pure politics. It’s that simple. I know because I was on one of the boards.