March Program - Leading in the Midst of Chaos: Behind the Scenes with the Executive Director of the N.C. State Board of Elections
When: 3/31/2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Managing the election process during a presidential election year is already a challenge that involves collaborating with state and local leaders, county boards of elections and thousands of moving parts. Now imagine handling all that during a deadly coronavirus pandemic that meant developing safety protocols and responding to ever-changing federal, state and local restrictions. Got it? But wait there's more when North Carolina emerges as a battleground state for the presidency and control of Congress, as well as questions over the validity of ballots and election fraud. That's what Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director of the N.C. State Board of Elections, lived over the past year. She's joining PRSA Charlotte from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, to share how she and her team handled the challenges of the 2020 election, from responding to the pandemic to security measures and election integrity. As the state's chief elections official, Bell leads about 85 full-time employees at the state agency, which is charged with administering elections and overseeing the 100 county boards of elections, as well as campaign finance compliance. North Carolina has more than 7 million registered voters and is the ninth most populous state in the country. In her time as Executive Director, Bell has overseen 10 elections, including the 2020 Presidential election, which is the largest election in North Carolina's history; two special congressional elections impacted by Hurricane Dorian (September 2019), North Carolina's first Super Tuesday primary on March 3, 2020; and a Congressional second primary during the COVID-19 pandemic. You won't want to miss this event, so click on the link now to reserve your spot.