State Board approves Lenoir early voting plan without Georgia K. Battle; Greene will have no Sunday voting

The N.C. State Board of Elections settled disputed early-voting plans for Lenoir and Greene counties Thursday, approving a three-site plan in Lenoir County that does not include the Georgia K. Battle Center and a Greene County plan without Sunday voting.

The decisions came during the State Board’s Aug. 20 meeting to resolve early-voting plans from 20 counties where local boards of elections had failed to reach unanimous agreement.

In Lenoir County, the disagreement centered on the number and location of early-voting sites.

The competing proposals included a four-site minority plan that included the Georgia K. Battle Center and a three-site majority plan that did not. The State Board selected the three-site plan.

Georgia K. Battle Center, located at 401 Lincoln St. in Kinston, has previously served as an early-voting location in Lenoir County.

The State Board considered Lenoir County during the afternoon portion of Thursday’s meeting, which included counties where disagreements involved early-voting locations or a combination of locations and voting hours.

Greene County’s dispute centered largely on weekend voting.

The majority plan did not include Sunday voting, while alternative plans included Sunday voting and differed over the number of Saturdays and weekend hours available.

The State Board approved the plan without Sunday voting.

The decisions conclude a process that began at the county level. Under North Carolina law, county boards develop plans for one-stop early voting. When members cannot unanimously agree on a plan, competing proposals are sent to the State Board of Elections for a final determination.

Lenoir and Greene were among 20 counties with non-unanimous plans considered Thursday.

The 2026 in-person early-voting period begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

During the early-voting period, voters may cast a ballot at any approved early-voting site within their county. Eligible residents may also register and vote at the same time through same-day registration.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The decisions resolve disputes Neuse News previously reported when the Lenoir and Greene county boards submitted competing plans to the State Board earlier this month.