Politics

Elections board upholds ruling on candidate's age

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 20, 2017

The Henderson County Board of Elections on Thursday unanimously upheld a ruling by elections administrators that 20-year-old John F. Moore Jr. is too young to run for the Hendersonville City Council.

The elections board said in a three-page order that Moore, who turned 20 on June 5, will not be 21 on Election Day as required under the state Constitution, which in 1971 added a minimum age of 21 to hold elective office.

Although the city's charter sets no minimum age for election to the council, the state Constitution says that qualified voters who are 21 years old "shall be eligible for election by the people to office."

Moore's only remaining avenue of appeal is to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, said County Attorney Russ Burrell. Moore must file the appeal within two days of the election's board order, which Elections Director Beverly Cunningham delivered to him on Thursday. Moore told the Hendersonville Lightning that he does not plan to appeal.