By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
Previous coverage
* 10/30 — Commissioner candidate distributes illegal sample ballots
* 10/31 — Letter: I don’t back down from my original intent
Though Richmond County commissioner candidate Peggy Covington said she believes it’s making a big deal out of almost nothing, Richmond County resident and Republican Dan Moody on Friday filed a formal complaint with the North Carolina Board of Elections due to Covington’s alleged distribution of sample ballots without legally mandated disclaimers.
Moody, who this week resigned as a member-at-large of the Richmond County Republican Party in order to be eligible to be chief judge at Wolf Pit No. 2 precinct at the Community Church recreation building East Rockingham, said he felt compelled to file the complaint even if no one else would.
“In good conscience, I can’t let this go down,” said Moody, who noted he relocated to Richmond County 10 years ago but chose to stay in part because of what he called a Democrat stronghold that used questionable tactics to get the results the party wanted in elections.
Covington is one of four challengers fighting incumbents Ben Moss, a Republican, and Democrats Thad Ussery and Don Bryant. Democrat Herbie Long and Republican Donnie Richardson also are in the contest. The six candidates are vying for four available seats on the seven-member board.
Moody told Sheryll Harris, a compliance office with the state Board of Elections, in an email sent late Friday afternoon that it was on Oct. 23, the first day of early voting, that he saw a sample ballot being passed around by a campaign worker of Covington’s. The sample ballot had the bubble beside the names of a number of candidates — all Democrats — filled in. The sample ballot lacked the required disclaimers that it was paid for by Peggy Covington’s campaign committee and a statement that it was not the official ballot.
He brought the issue to the attention of Connie Kelly, director of Richmond County elections. Moody said Kelly talked with Covington on Oct. 24 about the issue. Moody said he’d hoped the issue was resolved.
A few days later, however, it was learned that at least a few county residents received a copy of the sample ballot in their mailboxes. The sample ballot, coupled with a campaign flier touting Covington’s accomplishments when she served as commissioner from 2008 to 2012, again lacked the required disclaimers.
“When the local press ask(ed) for a comment for an article about illegal ballots, I realized she was still doing the same thing and had not stop(per) and corrected the problem,” Moody told Harris in the emailed formal complaint.
Moody said Covington had been involved in a similar issue in a previous election with another candidate for office. But the first time concern was noted, it was resolved, Moody said.
“If we are going to have rules, we all need to follow them les(t) we just drive through the next red light we see,” Moody wrote to Harris.
It is unclear what happens next. Harris was not immediately available for comment on Friday.