Mayor tells New Bern Board of Alderman they need to consider cost of early voting.
The Board of Aldermen delayed a decision to move forward with early voting for New Bern’s 2025 municipal elections after Mayor Jeffrey Odham questioned the cost during the Jan. 14 meeting at City Hall in New Bern, NC. Three weeks later, state lawmakers introduce bill to reduce number of early voting days.
City Manager Foster Hughes said New Bern’s upcoming election will be held on Oct. 7, 2025 and said the candidate filing period runs from July 7 through July 18 at noon. He asked the Board of Aldermen if they want to keep the $10 filing fee for alderman and the $20 fee for mayor.
He said early voting would run from Sept. 18 through Oct. 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. He said he needed to know if the board wanted to continue with early voting or opt out.
Mayor Odham said, “I’m assuming there’s going to be a considerable difference in the costs.”
Foster Hughes said the estimate the Board of Elections gave him about a year ago was $94,000.
Jeffrey Odham said there were two options for early voting, “either you have it or you don’t have it.”
Hughes said that was correct and noted the period couldn’t be shortened.
The mayor asked the city manager if the board needed to give him direction that night and Hughes said yes.
Alderman Barbara Best asked why they were asking to make a change.
Hughes said the Board of Elections asked about the early voting portion. He said it was just to formalize the contract.
Alderman Barbara Best asked if the election would cost more.
City Attorney M. “Scott” Davis shook his head no and Hughes said no.
The mayor claimed, “The reason they’re asking us because I believe we are the only one now, where in the past there were other cities and municipalities so it’s just us so we’re having to bear the full brunt.”
Foster Hughes echoed what the Odham said.
New Bern was the only municipality in Craven County that had elections in October 2009, 2013 and 2017, according to information that was presented to the BOA prior to the last election. The city paid $36,454 for the October 2017 election which was the “full brunt” of the costs because there wasn’t a runoff election in November when other municipalities held their elections.
New Bern has used a runoff method to determine the outcome of elections. If a winner doesn’t receive a majority of votes, which is 50% plus one, the second-place candidate can request a runoff.
Mayor Odham asked the city manager if the $95,000 estimate included early voting.
Hughes said it did.
“So, if there’s two weeks of early voting the cost could be lower. That’s what the board needs to be considering,” Jeffrey Odham said.
“That’s correct,” Hughes said.
Odham said he wasn’t prepared to make the decision and said, “I’ll be happy to come back with some feedback at the next board meeting, but I think we need to talk to our constituents.”
“Two weeks for early voting, for the city to be the only thing on the ballot is a lot. It’s one thing if there’s other elections going on, but with it just being us, I think we need to have some conversations with constituents,” he said.
Alderman Best said she wanted to get more information on that.
Attorney Davis said to the mayor, “motion to table it.”
Then Odham asked for a motion to table it.
Alderman Hazel Royal said, “so moved” and Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey said “second”.
Barbara Best asked if the city manager could provide information on the costs of the election.
The mayor said they had a motion to table the decision to the next board meeting and Alderman Prill of Ward 1, Mayor Pro Tem of Ward 2, Alderman Robert “Bobby” Aster of Ward 3, Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey of Ward 4, Alderman Barbara Best of Ward 5 and Mayor Jeffrey Odham voted yes. The Ward 6 Alderman seat remains since Bob Brinson resigned in July 2024 to become a state senator.
On Jan. 17, Foster Hughes emailed Susan Williams and wrote, “Our Aldermen requested an estimate of the upcoming election. Can you provide estimated pricing with and without early voting. Also, we are looking at a possible bond referendum. When do you need to have this information so that it will be on the ballot? And on the early voting. Even if our election is the only one, the days cannot be adjusted?”
Conversation continues
The Board of Aldermen met again on Jan. 28 and talked about the issue during the city manager’s report.
Foster Hughes said if there’s a runoff, it would be held on Nov. 4 and early voting would run from Oct. 18 through Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
He said the Oct. 7 election with early voting could cost $47,660. If the city opted out of early voting the estimated cost was $33,960. If runoffs are held in November, the estimated cost would be $47,660 with early voting and $33,960 without it. The total cost for both elections could be $95,320. The cost varies greatly. If there’s a runoff for mayor, polls are open citywide because all citizens vote. It would be considerably less if only one ward has a runoff.
A breakdown of estimated costs for New Bern’s 2025 municipal election can be found here.
The actual costs for the October elections in 2009, 2013 and 2017 can be found here.
Hughes said he asked the CC Board of Elections if the city could have early voting for one election and not the other. He said they were going to ask the state BOE’s legal counsel. He didn’t know if it was all or nothing.
He said it would cost $67,920 without early voting for both the October election and runoffs in November. He said if the board decides to opt out, he will come back with a resolution for them to approve.
Mayor Pro Tem Rick Prill asked what he meant by “opting out.”
Foster Hughes said, “Opt out of early voting.”
Rick Prill asked if the board wanted to share their thoughts on early voting if there is a runoff.
Alderman Bobby Aster questioned why it would cost $47,000 if there was a runoff in one ward.
“This is an estimate. They don’t have a crystal ball to read if there will be a runoff, so they were just giving us an estimate. Obviously, I think things would change based on whether or not there is a runoff or how many races there could be for that,” Hughes said.
Alderman Hazel Royal suggested they wait for all of the information.
Barbara Best asked what information the city manager was waiting for.
Hughes said they were waiting for the Board of Elections to let him know if they could do early voting for one election, but not the other or if it was all or nothing.
Prill asked if there was a deadline and Hughes said he’d like to resolve it within the next two meetings.
The next day the elections director told the city manager in an email, “The state has replied that it is all or nothing. You either have early voting for October and runoff or you opt out for both.”
Lawmakers file “Reduce Early Voting Period” bill
NC lawmakers filed House Bill 66 titled “Reduce Early Voting Period” on Feb. 6.
NewBernNow.com asked Representative Steve Tyson, one of the bill’s sponsors, why he wants to reduce the voting period from thirteen to six days.
Rep. Tyson said, “Thirteen days is excessive. Thirteen days is costly and stressful for election workers. It is also very difficult for candidates to work for the polls for thirteen days. It has not been that long ago that election day was the first Tuesday of November and that was the only day to vote except for mail in ballots. It is not a partisan issue as Republicans early votes far exceeded Democrat early voting.”
Prior to the last election, Craven County Board of Elections advised the Board of Aldermen that they could cut costs to not allow absentee voting, but it wasn’t recommended because early voting is very popular in the New Bern and a large number of absentee ballots are cast.
Actual costs of past elections
According to a slideshow that was presented to the board prior New Bern’s last municipal elections, the October 2009 election cost $24,887. The November 2009 runoff election for the mayor and alderman of Ward 4 was $17,745. The total cost was $41,612.
The October 2013 election cost $39,145 and the November 2013 runoff election for the mayor and aldermen of Ward 1 and Ward 6 cost $16,384. The total cost was $55,529.
The October 2017 election cost $36,454. There wasn’t a November 2013 runoff.
Before the October 2021 election was moved to May 2022, the cost was estimated at $45,215. The estimated cost of a runoff in November 2021 was estimated at $19,500.
Board of Aldermen will meet tomorrow
The Board of Aldermen will meet on February 11 at City Hall in the second-floor courtroom located at 300 Pollock Street in New Bern, NC. They will have a work session to discuss a general obligation bond referendum at 4 p.m. A regular meeting will follow at 6 p.m. The public will have an opportunity to address the board for four minutes. Speakers are asked to provide a name and address, but the board’s Rules of Procedure only asks for a person to say whether or not they are a city resident. The meeting agendas and packet can be found here.
Meetings are live streamed on City 3 TV and on the City of New Bern’s Facebook page. Recordings are normally uploaded to YouTube page.
Food for thought
If all the candidates win by 50% plus one on Oct. 7, 2025 there won’t be a runoff. It would cost $13,700 to vote early. Do you think that’s too much to pay every four years?
By Wendy Card, Editor. Send an email with questions or comments.
Editor’s note: Article updated to include information about the upcoming Board of Aldermen meeting.