The Anson County Board of Elections discussed disposing of old records at its regular monthly meeting on March 5.

The board voted at its February meeting to burn old unnecessary records while using an accountability system but director Steve Adams informed the board at the March meeting that they could not burn the records at the landfill. Adams cited a miscommunication between him and the landfill for the confusion, saying that the landfill no longer burns items.

The board then voted to employ Shred-it to come on-site and destroy all of the boxes of selected materials and provide a certificate of destruction, which could be kept on file. The board has approximately 70 small boxes and two or three larger boxes to be destroyed; Shred-it will charge $4.50 per destroyed small box and $6.50 per large box. Adams estimated that the total price would be around $300. The board will find a date when they can be present to witness the shredding.

Additionally, the board discussed coding grant information. The coding, the marks on the sides of the ballots that are read by the machines, is done every election, according to Adams. It is costly, around $5,000 for the second primary in July and the general election. Coding takes care of ballot setting, ballot layout, election returns, etc., Adams said.

Adams applied for a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant and was reimbursed for all of the money spent in July — $5,496.78. Although the board’s budget was previously in the red for some expenses, including poll workers, the grant helped revitalize the budget.

Chairman Freddie Paxton received a letter acknowledging the unanimous election of Adams as the director of the Anson County board from Gary Bartlett, the executive director at the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Adams and Geneva Timmons, the assistant director, had the opportunity to attend training a couple of weeks ago, which both agreed was very informative. “It was very fruitful to take that day and go,” Adams said.

Adams provided the monthly director’s report. In February there were 29 new registrations; 27 from the DMV and two mailed in. There were 19 death removals and one felony removal in February and no completed felony sentences.

The board’s next meeting will be held on April 2 at 5 p.m. in the Elections Office at 101 South Greene St. in Wadesboro.