The Town of Carrboro’s decision to leave up flags saying “Black Lives Matter” could lead to the changing of a polling location.

After declining the request of the North Carolina Board of Elections to remove the flags from the front of its Town Hall building, Carrboro may see the site lose its status as an Election Day precinct and early voting location. A statement from the board on Monday said a change would be made in the future “without written assurances from town officials that the flags or other communication will not be present inside the buffer zone or voting enclosure during voting.”

The state board sent a letter to the Carrboro elected officials on October 28 following several requests from community members regarding the flags’ position on Town Hall. State law does not permit any “electioneering activity” or “political advertising” within 50 feet of a polling location’s entrance in order to create a buffer zone to prevent voter intimidation or coercion. In its letter to the Town of Carrboro, a state Board of Elections official said several Orange County voters told the local Republican Party they believed the Black Lives Matter flags fit the description of voter intimidation.

The following morning, the Carrboro Town Council held an emergency virtual meeting to consult with an attorney about the issue. The officials ultimately elected to keep the flags in place through the end of the early voting period and they remained on the building during Election Day, which was used as the polling location for the ‘Town Hall’ precinct in Orange County.

According to the Associated Press, the Orange County Board of Elections held a meeting on Friday in which it determined switching the precinct’s polling site from Carrboro Town Hall would cause too much confusion ahead of Tuesday. State law also requires voters to be notified of a polling place change at least 30 days prior to an election.

The four Black Lives Matter flags have been in place on the Town Hall building since this summer, when Carrboro officials approved their purchase and installation as a short-term show of solidarity during the nationwide movement for racial justice and end to police violence. The town is also currently working on designing and determining several mural projects denouncing racism.

During an interview with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck on Friday, October 30, Carrboro Communications Manager Catherine Lazorko said the town council and mayor will discuss their reasoning behind leaving the flags up in the coming days.

“I know the mayor and town council care deeply about this matter,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll share more about their reasoning and values connected with the flags at Carrboro Town Hall at the right time.”

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