State Auditor Launches Commission to Modernize North Carolina Election Systems

State Auditor Dave Boliek announced the creation of the Modernization of Election Data Systems (MEDS) Commission on Feb. 5, a bipartisan 22-member panel aimed at guiding efforts to update North Carolina’s election management system.

The commission will advise on the three-phase modernization of the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS), which is managed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections. The Office of the State Auditor oversees the board’s budgeting functions and is partnering with the board to improve system security, usability, and transparency.

“Developing a secure, user-friendly election management system requires input from those on the ground and directly from voters across North Carolina,” Boliek said. “We have a deep bench of elections professionals, professors, and researchers to provide practical advice and insight.”

MEDS will review public input, evaluate vendor submissions, recommend functional improvements, assess security protocols, and monitor implementation. The panel will also advise on modernizing the state’s campaign finance reporting system, aiming to make political spending easier to track, simplify compliance for candidates, and reduce errors.

Boliek will serve as chair of the commission. Members include county election officials, policy directors, university professors, and former government administrators.

Non-voting technical advisors include State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes and Chief Information Officer Bret Kelly. All five members of the State Board of Elections will serve as ex officio non-voting members.

The commission reflects a broader effort to modernize North Carolina’s election infrastructure, including outreach to citizens and vendors through requests for information and proposals in the second phase of SEIMS modernization.