Not arrested, on a voter repair list, newspaper now says

The 17 people identified as arrested by The Daily Courier were not arrested, the newspaper acknowledged on Oct. 14. Their names came from North Carolina’s voter registration repair list.

“Last week’s list of arrests in the Daily Courier was incorrect,” the statement said.

The newspaper, whose editor is Chris Bumgarner, published a correction identifying the affected people and explaining that their names appeared on a list of voters who needed to contact election officials.

“Our apologies for the error,” the newspaper said.

The correction did not identify who prepared the incorrect arrest list or explain how voter registration records were published as arrests.

The Daily Courier is owned by Paxton Media Group, based in Paducah, Kentucky. Its publisher is Lori Spurling.

North Carolina’s registration repair list concerns missing identification information. It is not an arrest report or a list of people accused of election crimes.

According to the State Board of Elections, the voter records lack a North Carolina driver’s license or Division of Motor Vehicles identification number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Election officials use that information to verify identity.

The state says faulty instructions on a registration form used for about a decade contributed to the missing information. The form was corrected in January 2024, and the repair project began in July 2025.

A name appearing on the repair list does not establish wrongdoing or mean the person is ineligible to vote.

As previously reported, WCAB News will not republish the voters’ names. The state maintains a searchable tool that is updated daily. A printed list may become outdated as election officials process corrections and cannot explain each person’s circumstances.

Questions involving deaths, moves or felony sentences require separate review. Readers should not infer those circumstances from someone’s inclusion on a list that specifically addresses missing identification information.

Voters can check their records and find instructions for supplying missing information on the state’s registration repair page.

Early voting continues through 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Voting locations and schedules are available on the State Board of Elections website.