LOD: Paying for the Tune Up

North Carolina’s election system is run by 100 county offices that oversee thousands of voting machines, train an army of poll workers, process millions of ballots, and solve a stream of problems that becomes a torrent on Election Day. It’s a system that needs regular maintenance tune ups, writes Damon Circosta of the NC Center for Voter Education. Without proper care, the system will suffer a breakdown – exactly when you need it most. Oddly enough, the new leaders in the General Assembly froze the federal grant money that counties have used for years to maintain their equipment, train workers, and open Early Voting sites. We wrote about the $4 million in frozen HAVA money a week ago, and newspapers from Wilmington to Asheville have joined the chorus of local election officials who say the money is needed and should be released. This kind of strange behavior is why citizens are protesting the “out-of-control” legislative leadership tomorrow, Feb. 16, when the General Assembly convenes for another special session. Be there yourself, check it out.