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Buncombe County elections board to hear candidate challenges

Buncombe County elections board to hear candidate challenges

Two candidates in Buncombe County’s upcoming primary elections are facing formal challenges to their eligibility, prompting a special hearing by the Buncombe County Board of Elections on Tuesday. Photo: Saga Communications/828newsNOW


ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Two candidates in Buncombe County’s upcoming primary elections are facing formal challenges to their eligibility, prompting a special hearing by the Buncombe County Board of Elections on Tuesday.

The board is scheduled to hear disputes involving Asheville City Council candidate Antanette Mosley and Buncombe County sheriff candidate Victor “Vic” Morman during a meeting beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the board’s offices on Woodfin Street.

Mosley’s eligibility has been questioned since last month, after reports indicated she claimed a permanent-resident property tax exemption in Georgia while voting in North Carolina and serving on the Asheville City Council.

Under North Carolina law, candidates must be eligible to vote for the office they seek. Only Asheville residents may vote in city council elections.

Mosley was appointed to the Asheville City Council in 2020 and elected to the position in 2022. Efforts to reach her for comment were unsuccessful.

The board will also hear a challenge filed against Morman, a Republican candidate for Buncombe County sheriff. The challenge alleges Morman did not meet the requirement that candidates in partisan races be registered with their party for at least 90 days before filing for office.

According to voter registration records, Morman registered as unaffiliated in June 2019 and voted in the Democratic primary in 2022. He changed his registration to Democrat on Sept. 8, 2025, and three days later filed a statement of organization for his campaign committee listing himself as a Democrat. Morman changed his voter registration to Republican on Sept. 19, and his campaign committee was amended to reflect that affiliation on Sept. 26.

Morman formally filed to run in the Republican primary for sheriff on Dec. 18, exactly 90 days after changing his registration to Republican. Candidate filing closed Dec. 19.

Morman, a former Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, said last week he is confident he meets all legal requirements to run.

“I have to prove that I’m in compliance with everything,” Morman said. “If someone believes they have evidence otherwise, they’ll have to present it.”

The Buncombe County Board of Elections will serve as the panel for both hearings under state law.

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