NC lawmakers give GOP control of Mecklenburg elections board in statewide shakeup
New Republican leadership is taking over the Mecklenburg County’s Board of Elections as the 2025 election season kicks off.
The five-person county board now has a 3-2 Republican majority and will be led by a new Republican chair: attorney Michael Peretz. In addition to the new chair, the State Board of Elections chose another new Republican board member Monday.
The change in county board leadership is part of broader changes statewide to how elections are run, the result of GOP legislators stripping some powers from the Democrat-held governor’s office. Democrats previously led the Mecklenburg board with their own 3-2 majority.
What does the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections do?
The Board of Elections hires a director and oversees the staff, who are responsible for administering local, state and federal elections.
The board certifies election results, orders recounts and hears any election protests. Board members also set rules and regulations for election officers and voters, and they appoint the judges who oversee precincts during voting.
The county board also investigates alleged voting irregularities and violations of laws, and reports violations to the State Board of Elections.
Republicans shift power on boards of elections
Peretz is one of 100 Republican county board chairs appointed in late June by State Auditor Dave Boliek as part of his office’s new control over election processes.
Since county election boards expanded to five people in 2018, the boards have been made up of two Democrats, two Republicans and a chairperson appointed by the governor. Governors typically chose chairs from their own party, giving Democrats an advantage in recent years under then-Gov. Roy Cooper.
But legislation passed in late 2024 stripped newly elected Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of that appointment power and gave it to the GOP-held State Auditor’s Office. The law survived legal challenges, and Boliek then appointed new Republican leadership to the county boards and the State Board Of Elections.
That flipped the partisan control of county boards for the first time since 2016.
New Mecklenburg County Board of Elections members
Peretz declined an interview request from The Charlotte Observer but said in a statement he “look(s) forward to working with the staff and my fellow board members to faithfully administer our elections.”
“It is paramount that Mecklenburg County voters have faith and confidence in the voting process. Elections in our county must be fair, secure, and efficient. To me, this is not a partisan issue, but rather a unifying principle that I will prioritize as Chair,” he said. “To accomplish this goal, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our County Board of Elections, without exception, adheres to the law.”
Peretz is an associate with the law firm Troutman Pepper Locke, specializing in business litigation, according to the firm’s website. He was previously a clerk to the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and worked for the House Budget Committee in the U.S. Congress.
He’s a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina School of Law.
The State Board of Elections also voted Monday to appoint Republican Melisa Bell Taylor to the board, replacing outgoing GOP board member Mary Potter Summa. Taylor is a former board member of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party and was an inaugural member of the North Carolina Republican Party’s Voter Integrity Committee, according to the county party’s website. She’s previously served as a poll observer and precinct judge.
Peretz and Taylor are joined on the board by three returning members: Democrats Beverly Earle and Chris Fialko and Republican Elizabeth M. McDowell. Former Democratic board member John Gresham did not seek another term on the board.
The new board’s first meeting is scheduled for noon Tuesday.
They’ll take control just ahead of the start of voting in the 2025 local elections. Candidate filing closed Friday, and Charlotte’s primaries are scheduled for Sept. 9 ahead of the general election on Nov. 5.
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 4:55 PM.
