North Carolina Elections Laws HAVE QUIETLY BEEN CHANGED!!! DO NOT Write-In Robert A Williams for ANY Office!! Report, evaluations and recommendations by Robert A
Running for political office as a Write-In Candidate is a “tricky” business at best. Especially TRICKY in North Carolina and even more so right here in Cleveland County!!! Where both Democrats and Republicans “hacks” make jokes about dead people residing in graveyards having their ballots cast and then counted by not-so-honest Political “Insiders!!!”.
Folks, Robert A is well-known for digging into the smallest of details in just about everything he looks into related to Politics and Elections. And, most everything else. Having a curious mind has always served him well in his 42-year engineering career in finding and fixing problems. Small problems and very large problems too; that very few others had taken the time, energy and effort to do. Robert A uses that same MO in his political thinking and observations. Which thoroughly PO’s Corrupt Politicians when Robert A catches them in lies, Cover-ups and especially when they have their hands in the proverbial “cooking jar.” Even more so when Robert A calls and can PROVE that the current lot of CC Commissioner incumbents are “Skunks.” Crooks”, “Liars” and “Schemers.”
So, when Robert A receives a telephone call the evening of the first day of CC’s Early Voting; telling him that these two ladies, both politically astute, had gone together to vote and in the section for the CC Commissioner election of three positions, there was a line for a Write-In candidate and they both wrote-in Robert A Williams on that line. Robert A was immediately cautious with the callers and about this whole peculiar situation.
Some years back Robert A had looked into the NC laws related to write in Candidates in NC Elections and found several important items. At that time, a write in candidate had to submit a “petition” with a very large number of registered voters (around 2,500 hundred) to put their signatures on a petition to have the write-in votes counted. With a whole lot more signatures, the candidate could actually have his name preprinted on the ballot. Either way, getting up all those thousands of signatures on that petition was an onerous task that very, very few have chosen to follow. Also, it was required for the voter to write in the name of the person that had properly submitted the petition to have their votes counted. Robert A had NOT submitted that petition and at that immediate time did NOT know the correct identity of the person that had actually filed that petition to get that Write-In line on the ballot actually counted. And Nothing on the ballot gave any information or even an indication of whom that person was.
So, Robert A thanked those two ladies for their belief that HE was the most qualified candidate for that elected office, a CC Commissioner, but that it was most likely that their votes for Robert A would not be counted for Robert A OR the actual person that had submitted the petition to begin with.
Note that Robert A’s origin purpose for this article was to warn other voters to explicitly follow Robert A’s recommendations in regard to County Commissioners as that was ABSOLUTELY the ONLY way to get rid of the Skunks, Crooks, Liars and schemers like the Incumbents Kevin Gordon and Johnny Hutchins.
But that was not the end of this story at all.
On that next day, the Day of the Livermush Fest in Shelby, Robert A’s curious mind also kicks in, as always. So, Robert A ends up parking way back behind the CCS Central Offices and maps out his tour. Robert A checks out the Old Farmer’s Market that the City of Shelby botched up, inspects the “big-dig” along the railroad track bed where the “Rail-Trail” will be located. Around the Hotel Charles Building and heads up toward the Old Courthouse that was gleaming on this bright sunshiny day. A right turn at Dekalb Street heading a bit South. Past the Shelby Café and on to the CCGOP Headquarters. Where they had NO Trump signs or bumper stickers.
Then backtrack to the Court Square where the Livermush line was still too long for Robert A to get into. Another Right Turn and Robert A checks-out everything all the way down to the “NEW” Justice Center Project construction.
Robert A continues to conclude that construction work going on there is purposely slow because Cleveland County Government is “broke” and waiting for a big tax revenue increase in 2025. After the 2024 Election of course! It is totally obvious to the most casual inspection by someone who knows what he is looking at.
Then Robert A turns North on Justice Place, Past the present Courthouse and down the other side. Robert A peeks through holes in the fencing to observe better the backside of the NEW Justice Center progress. Where Robert A finds more indication that this silly project has been plagued by mismanagement from the start.
Then Robert A moseys on over to Marion Street and back up the hill to the Old Courthouse and heads back toward his vehicle. But, along the way, Robert A passes by the 2024 Democrat Headquarters where something in the front window catches his eye. It is a brightly colored Yard sign that says “Write-in Emanuel Hunt, Jr. for CC Commissioner” There was even a clever sketch showing a hand holding a pencil that had just written in the name “Emanuel Hunt, Jr” on a ballot for CC Commissioners.
Well, that Write-In Candidate’s identity puzzle is solved. It was Emanuel Hunt, Jr. who had submitted a petition to run as a Write-In for a CC Commissioner’s seat in the 2024 Elections that is going on as we speak.
So, Robert A drives home and does some computer work to find out something more about Emanuel Hunt’s campaign for a CC Commissioner’s seat.
But, First, Robert A Williams DID NOT File a Petition to run as a Write-In Candidate for any office. On the 2020 Cleveland County General Election Ballot there are three places where a Write-In candidate is found on the CC Ballot. A write-in vote for Robert A Williams would not have counted for any one of these offices:
- The Presidential Election–500 Signatures were required on the Petition.
- The CC Soil and Conservation Office—100 Signatures were required
- For the Cleveland County Commissioner’s Office. 100 Signatures were required. This is what Emanuel Hunt, Jr. petitioned to do.
However, If Robert A had known, in time, that only 500 signatures were required to run for President of the United States on a Cleveland County Ballot, THAT is exactly what he would have done. No, Just Considered it. Just for the Ha-Ha’s of it!! And to PO a certain few CC know-it-alls.
Also, if others had known that only 100 signatures on a petition would have allowed them to run for The CC Commissioners office or for the School Board, the present 2024 CC General Elections Ballot would look a lot different than it does now.
Note that Robert A blames the CCGOP, WeRCC and the Democrat Party so-called leadership too, for all this confusion about Write-In voting. And MUCH MORE! These “SKUNK” wannabees are all about getting only “Good-Ole-Boy Country Clubbers” elected to office instead of Candidates that would be much better leaders than the incumbents who are presently on the Commissioner’s and School Board ballots.
Note that a Robert A’s review of both the CCGOP and the CC DEMS official websites showed NOTHING regarding helping potential candidates file and run for elected office. It is also Robert A’s observations that both the CCGOP and the CC DEMs officials help only those that THEY want to help and everybody else is on their own. It will be quite the adventure to find out who helped Candidate Emanuel Hunt, Jr. work out his write-in candidacy strategy.
Folks, Robert A knows this article is also getting a bit long, but all this new information has changed Robert A’s mind about his Commissioner Recommendations.
Robert A had originally recommended voting for Tony Berry, Stormy Mongiello and David Peace for CC Commissioners only for the noble purpose of removing all incumbent skunks, crooks, liars, schemers and all-around chuckleheads presently on the Commissioners Board. Especially Kevin Gordon and Johnny Hutchins, from office. (And, the same for the CCS School Board-Shores and Humphries.) Berry, Mongiello and Peace are all politic unknowns due to there being NO Candidate Forums held in both the 2024 Primary and General Elections for the CC Commissioner candidates. Basically, Robert A and everybody else only had political signs and one sentence (or less) slogans on campaign materials to decide on who would be the better candidates to serve ALL the Citizens of Cleveland County. Robert A believes this was a Planned Scheme mostly perpetrated by the CCGOP and WeRCC.
However, Robert A found materials from the Emanuel Hunt, Jr. Campaign that Robert A could relate to. On a Facebook Campaign Interview, Mr. Hunt was asked about what he thought were issues and problems with the existing County Commissioners. Mr. Hunt immediately noted how he had attended Commissioner meetings where people would speak to the Commissioners about various issues and problems they had with the CC Government.
Mr. Hunt clearly stated that the Commissioners would listen to the people but never did anything about any of the problems and issues that had been brought before them.
“Voila”, thought Robert A. (Note that Voila is a French word meaning “There it is-the answer to it all. “Eureka” is an ancient Greek word that means about the same thing. Also, a “Eureka Moment” is when one suddenly understands what was previously only a question.
What Robert A suddenly realized: was that Mr. Emanuel, Hunt, Jr., considering ALL the Nuances, Circumstances and Realities of Cleveland County Commissioner MO’s and dirty politics, was exactly the person, along with Stormy Mongiello and David Peace, to immediately form a new MAJORITY on the Cleveland County Commissioner Board for the betterment of ALL citizens of Cleveland County. All in December of 2024-the moment they would be sworn into office.
Editor’s Note: Robert A NOW recommends voting in the 2024 General Elections for the Commissioner and the CCS School Board Candidates as follows:
Cleveland County Commissioners Candidate
XXXX Write-In Emanuel Hunt, Jr.
(To vote for Emanuel Hunt, Jr YOU, the CC voter, must write-in (Print or in Cursive, his name as shown above on the line designated on your ballot and also mark the Oval for this Write-in Vote. If you have questions, ask a Poll Worker to help you.
XXXX Stormy Mongiello
XXXX David Peace
Cleveland County School Board Candidate recommendations: Vote for these five!
XXXX Kenneth A. Ledford
XXXX David Fisher
XXXX Gloria Sherman
XXXX Rod Powell
XXXX Tracy Ross
The following is the NEW North Carolina Law that is the basis of Mr. Emanuel Hunt, Jrs. Write-In candidacy. Folks, you might want to stop reading right here. But this new law may make many changes regarding future Elections. Once everybody gets word of this almost two-year-old law that nobody told us about. Robert A has bolded and underlined certain parts as related to this particular article.
This Reference Material: Went into effect Jan 1, 2023
- 163 123. Declaration of intent and petitions for write in candidates in partisan elections.
(a) Procedure for Qualifying as a Write In Candidate. – Any qualified voter who seeks to have write in votes for him counted in a general election shall file a declaration of intent in accordance with subsection (b) of this section and petition(s) in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.
(b) Declaration of Intent. – The applicant for write in candidacy shall file his declaration of intent at the same time and with the same board of elections as his petition, as set out in subsection (c) of this section. The declaration shall contain:
(1) Applicant’s name,
(2) Applicant’s residential address,
(3) Declaration of applicant’s intent to be a write in candidate,
(4) Title of the office sought,
(5) Date of the election,
(6) Date of the declaration,
(7) Applicant’s signature.
(c) Petitions for Write in Candidacy. – An applicant for write in candidacy shall: (1) If the office is a statewide office, file written petitions with the State Board of Elections supporting his candidacy for a specified office. These petitions shall be filed on or before noon on the 90th day before the general election. They shall be signed by 500 qualified voters of the State. No later than 5:00 p.m. on the fifteenth day preceding the date the petitions are due to be filed with the State Board of Elections, each petition shall be presented to the board of elections of the county in which the signatures were obtained. A petition presented to a county board of elections shall contain only names of voters registered in that county. Provided the petitions are timely submitted, the chairman of the county board of elections shall examine the names on the petition and place a check mark by the name of each signer who is qualified and registered to vote in his county. The chairman of the county board shall attach to the petition his signed certificate. On his certificate the chairman shall state that the signatures on the petition have been checked against the registration records and shall indicate the number of signers who are qualified and registered to vote in his county and eligible to vote for that office. The chairman shall return each petition, together with the certificate required in this section, to the person who presented it to him for checking. The chairman of the county board shall complete the verification within two weeks from the date the petition is presented.
(2) If the office is a district office under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections under G.S. 163 182.4(b), file written petitions with the State Board of Elections supporting that applicant’s candidacy for a specified office. These petitions must be filed with the State Board of Elections on or before noon on the 90th day before the general election and must be signed by 250 qualified voters. Before being filed with the State Board of Elections, each petition shall be presented to the board of elections of the county in which the signatures were obtained. A petition presented to a county board of elections shall contain only names of voters registered in that county who are eligible to vote for that office. The chairman of the county board shall examine the names on the petition and the procedure for certification shall be the same as specified in subdivision (1).
(3) If the office is a county office, or is a school administrative unit office elected on a partisan basis, or is a legislative district consisting of a single county or a G.S. 163-123 Page 2 portion of a county, file written petitions with the county board of elections supporting his candidacy for a specified office. A petition presented to a county board of elections shall contain only names of voters registered in that county. These petitions must be filed on or before noon on the 90th day before the general election and must be signed by 100 qualified voters who are eligible to vote for the office, unless fewer than 5,000 persons are eligible to vote for the office as shown by the most recent records of the appropriate board of elections. If fewer than 5,000 persons are eligible to vote for the office, an applicant’s petition must be signed by not less than one percent (1%) of those registered voters. Before being filed with the county board of elections, each petition shall be presented to the county board of elections for examination. The chairman of the county board of elections shall examine the names on the petition and the procedure for certification shall be the same as specified in subdivision (1).
(d) Form of Petition. – Petitions requesting the qualification of a write in candidate in a general election shall contain on the heading of each page of the candidate in a general election shall contain on the heading of each page of the petition in bold print or in capital letters the words: ”THE UNDERSIGNED REGISTERED VOTERS IN __________ COUNTY HEREBY PETITION ON BEHALF OF __________ AS A WRITE IN CANDIDATE IN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION. THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY PETITION THAT SUBJECT CANDIDATE BE PLACED ON THE LIST OF QUALIFIED WRITE IN CANDIDATES WHOSE VOTES ARE TO BE COUNTED AND RECORDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH G.S. 163 123.”
(e) Defeated Primary Candidate. – No person whose name appeared on the ballot in a primary election preliminary to the general election shall be eligible to have votes counted for him as a write in candidate for the same office in that year.
(f) Counting and Recording of Votes. – If a qualified voter has complied with the provisions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) and is not excluded by subsection (e), the board of elections with which petition has been filed shall count votes for him according to the procedures set out in G.S. 163 182.1, and the appropriate board of elections shall record those votes on the official abstract. Write in votes for names other than those of qualified write in candidates shall not be counted for any purpose and shall not be recorded on the abstract.
(g) When any person files a petition with a board of elections under this section, the board of elections shall, immediately upon receipt of the petition, inspect the registration records of the county and cancel the petition of any person who does not meet the constitutional or statutory qualifications for the office, including residency. The board shall give notice of cancellation to any person whose petition has been cancelled under this subsection by mail or by having the notice served on that person by the sheriff. A person whose petition has been cancelled or another candidate for the same office affected by a substantiation under this subsection may request a hearing on the issue of constitutional or statutory qualifications for the office. If the person requests a hearing, the hearing shall be conducted in accordance with Article 11B of this Chapter. (h) Certain Elections Excluded. – This section does not apply to the following elections: (1) Municipal elections or special district elections conducted under Subchapter IX of this Chapter. (2) Nonpartisan board of education elections conducted under G.S. 115C 37. (1987, c. 393, ss. 1; 2; 1989, c. 92, s. 1; 1999 424, s. 5(c); 2001 319, s. 9(a); 2001 398, s. 7; 2001 403, s. 12; 2002 158, s. 13; 2004 127, s. 7; 2006 155, s. 4; 2007 391, s. 8(b); 2008 187, s. 33(a); 2017 3, s. 11; 2017 6, s. 3; 2018 146, s. 3.1(a), (b); 2023 140, s. 18.)