Governor Roy Cooper Monday named a new chairman for the state Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.
Cooper named board member Joshua Malcolm as the new chairman. He replaces Andy Penry, who resigned as chairman on Saturday. Last week, the state board declined to certify results of North Carolina’s 9th district congressional race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready after Malcolm raised concerns about possible election fraud.
Malcolm, like Penry, is a Democrat. In a news release Monday, Cooper said Malcolm’s “leadership and experience will help ensure fair and honest elections.”
Cooper also appointed former state elections board member Robert Cordle to fill the vacancy on the board.
Meanwhile, the future composition of the state elections board itself is unclear. On Friday, a three-judge panel delayed enforcement of its ruling that found the current nine-member board unconstitutional. The judges ruled in October that the board’s compensation doesn’t give Democratic governor Roy Cooper sufficient control over the board’s make-up.
The current board will now remain in place until at least Dec. 12.
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