NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The county board of elections voted in favor last month on a resolution to change a polling location agreement that would disallow campaigning from both parties on one of its sites. However, the state elections board has weighed in and asked to change the precinct spot altogether.
Port City Community Church is the polling location for the H05 precinct, which has a few more than 4,200 of the roughly 183,000 voters registered in New Hanover County. The church asked to remove electioneering in its user agreement, applicable to all candidates and parties, as to not “disproportionately favor any political party, racial group, ethnic group or candidate.”
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Because it’s a nonpublic facility, site-specific restrictions are permitted by law. In December, the board voted unanimously in favor, with the agreement in effect through 2027. Since, the state board has asked to change the location to a public facility, where electioneering restrictions aren’t in place.
Previously, voters in H05 went to Blair Elementary, staff told the board at last week’s meeting, but years ago it was undergoing renovations, prompting the move to Port City Community Church. Blair Elementary is located at 6510 Market St. — 1.8 miles from the church — and voting is slated to take place in its gym in the 2026 elections.
New Hanover County Elections Logistics Coordinator Eric Navaugh and BOE Interim Director Crystal Whittaker visited Blair last week and said the superintendent of the district and principal of the school have been helpful and receptive to ushering in voters this year.
“Making sure we could get in there for the primary was a high priority,” Navaugh told the board of elections at its Jan. 13 meeting.
While the state board asked for the change to be in effect by the general election, it suggested the switch, if possible, for the primary as well, to maintain consistency.
BOE board member James Morgan asked the elections staff if the church had become more restrictive over time about its electioneering philosophy. Navaugh confirmed and said the church also ramped up events, many of which are large-scale and can add confusion and barriers to voters — something they learned about after December’s vote to change the church’s user agreement.
“So the stars did align with the feedback of the state board and residents impeded,” he said.
Though Navaugh expressed gratitude to the church for its use for more than a decade, he said the state wants to use as many public facilities as possible that don’t restrict electioneering. According to data recorded from April 2025, H05 precinct consists of around 950 Democrats, 1,572 Republicans, 1,699 Unaffiliated, 23 Libertarians, and 21 No Labels Party.
Board member John Lyon made the motion to accept the move, with a second from Derrick Miller. Miller, who agreed with being consistent and using more public buildings, still had questions before the vote was taken.
“Last month, when we voted on the resolution, we were told there were no better alternative locations in H05 and now we are told there is this wonderful location,” he said. “I’m wondering if you can help me square that?”
Navaugh explained Blair Elementary is considered a shelter location in the event of storms or other emergencies countywide and BOE staff always tried to avoid using shelter locations in the past.
Whittaker added the staff reached out to the county’s emergency management director to ensure there wouldn’t be an issue. The emergency team signed off, citing some polling locations on the BOE list already act as emergency shelter locations.
“I think it was just, maybe, a communication breakdown that happened,” Whittaker said of the former approach. “And when the state researched it, said: ‘Well you’re using other locations that are assigned as an emergency shelter, why not this one?’”
Board member Beverly Setz asked what happens if Blair — or any other approved voting facility — has to be used for an emergency. She was particularly considering the general election, as the end of hurricane season concludes on Nov. 30.
“We do have some options in our back pocket if we need to deploy to a different polling place,” Navaugh said, noting they keep a private list of emergency polling places as needed.
Miller also wanted to know if transitioning from this user agreement would impact other private polling locations in New Hanover County; there are about a dozen churches or others used as precinct sites of the 41. According to Navaugh, the state board’s direction prompts staff to continue exploring as many public facilities as possible and move that way in the future.
The H05 precinct change to Blair Elementary passed unanimously.
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