Lynda Bennett, WLOS-TV violate state election law

from Smoky Mountain News | June 24, 2020

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Lynda Bennett, WLOS-TV d violate state election law f BY CORY VAILLANCOURT judge that you’re present and that you’re part

S TAFF WRITER of the media, the press corps. But when you l A short video segment featuring NC11 congressional candidate Lynda Bennett that was produced by Asheville-based do, you’re there to do your shot. You can’t photograph a ballot, and you do your interviews and so forth outside of the buffer zone.”

WLOS-TV at Haywood County’s early voting Haywood Board of Elections Director location violates state election law, according Robbie Inman, however, stressed that candik to North Carolina’s top elections official. “The interview with one of the candidates are just as responsible as the media in terms of conducting themselves lawfully in dates [Bennett] should have been conducted and around the polls when campaigning or outside of the polling place,” said Karen interacting with the media, because they’re y d d f Brinson Bell, NC elections director. “Our law is pretty specific that the only people who are to be inside the voting enclosure are election officials and those in the act of voting.” On June 4, WLOS aired a 77-second provided guidance. Election coverage r report focusing on the start of the early voting period. It featured a video montage of polling places, campaign signs and candidates – Bennett and her Second Primary opponent, Madison Cawthorn – talking about their Republican primary campaigns for the seat formerly held by President The Smoky Mountain News will be posting updates regarding the Republican Second Primary race on its Facebook page Tuesday night and the final results will be posted by Wednesday morning at www.smokymountainnews.com.

Trump’s Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows. t Bennett is shown at a voting machine, followed by an on-camera interview just a “Each candidate at the time of filing receives a packet of information that is quite few feet from other voting machines. extensive. That is in their candidate guide,

“At that point, she had completed her and candidate materials. It is all published active voting and should have left the polling on every website. Those documents are proplace or left the voting enclosure, as should duced for a reason,” said Inman. “If we all the media,” said Bell. “The media is allowed understand the same language, then there in to photograph, but the interviews are to should be no question because I’m not saybe conducted outside.” ing the same thing to 12 different people on

Certainly, election coverage by all forms 12 different occasions and worried about of media – print, radio and television – takes whether or not I enunciated properly. It’s all place in and around polling locations both there, written down for each of us to underon and before any election day, however stand and acknowledge.” there are strict rules for journalists to be Early voting in the NC11 Second Primary aware of when operating in such circumends this Saturday, June 20. Election Day is stances. Tuesday, June 23.

“To an extent, I would say actually the Watch the video here. media was probably more at fault than the https://wlos.com/news/local/in-personcandidate,” Bell said. “You’re able to enter the voting-begins-for-nc-congress-nominationpolling place. You have to notify the chief runoff

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