North Carolina GOP leader threatens local elections director to gain access to voting equipment: report

The local GOP leader in North Carolina tried to intimidate the elections chief unless she helped him get unauthorized access to voting equipment.

William Senter, chairman of the Surry County Republican Party, told the elections chief she would be terminated from her position if she didn't give him access. Senter intended to use the equipment to back up claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.

Trump and many of his most loyal supporters have pushed for more restrictive voting laws and audits to look at the results in key swing states, such as Arizona and Wisconsin. Trump narrowly won North Carolina over Biden by 1%, or 73,000 votes.

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Senter told the Elections Director of Surry County that she would lose her job if she did not acquiesce to his request to gain access to sensitive voting equipment.

According to witnesses with knowledge of the meeting, Senter was aggressive, threatening and hostile during two encounters with Huff.

Huff turned down Senter's requests.

It is a shame that it is being normalized, she said. We are trying to do our job according to the law.

The push by Senter was a potential violation of North Carolina law.

Senter did not respond to questions from the news agency.

Mark Payne, an attorney brought on by the Board of Elections, wrote last week that it was illegal to give unauthorized individuals access to voting equipment. The intimidation of an election officer can result in an individual being charged with a felony.

According to the board, Senter and Douglas Frank, who both believe in election conspiracy theories, saw Huff on March 28 and claimed that there was a chip in the voting machines.

The claim was blasted by the board as fabricated.

Senter claimed that he could have her salary reduced if she didn't comply with his demands. Someone in attendance heard Senter's comments and relayed them to Huff.

It is unclear why Senter felt as though he could have impacted Huff's standing as elections chief, as the GOP-controlled Surry County Board of Commissioners doesn't have jurisdiction.