MEDS Commission Calls on General Assembly to Fully Fund SEIMS Replacement

The Modernization of Election Data Systems (MEDS) Advisory Commission today approved a resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to provide necessary and sustained funding for the full replacement of the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS).

The MEDS Commission - created and chaired by State Auditor Dave Boliek - was established to guide modernization of North Carolina's election data infrastructure, including full replacement planning for SEIMS and modernization of campaign finance reporting. SEIMS was initially developed in 1998, and remains the central elections management system run by the North Carolina State Board of Elections. A replacement system would strengthen security, improve list maintenance accuracy, speed up responses to county change requests and law changes, improve the user experience, and support custom reporting for internal audits.

The State Board has requested as much as $60 million for the replacement project, which will take several years to implement and test. In its May 20 meeting, members of the bipartisan MEDS Commission unanimously adopted a resolution asking "the General Assembly and State leadership provide necessary and sustained funding for the SEIMS replacement."

"This Commission has moved North Carolina from concept to execution by creating a disciplined, transparent modernization process grounded in public input and operational expertise," said State Auditor Dave Boliek. "The Office of the State Auditor is prepared to help manage procurement and implementation in close partnership with the State Board of Elections as we move from planning to implementation."

"We appreciate the Commission's engagement and the confidence reflected in its work," said Sam Hayes, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections. "This support helps position the State Board and our partners to move from planning to implementation in a way that improves election administration and service to voters statewide."

"The resolution adopted today reflects the Commission's confidence that the State Board of Elections and the Office of the State Auditor are positioned to advance a comprehensive modernization and eventual replacement of SEIMS," said Brooks Fuller of Common Cause NC, a commission member and sponsor of the member-initiated resolution. "We are asking the General Assembly to provide sustained funding so this work can move from planning to implementation. We, as members of the MEDS Commission, will continue to offer public review and transparency through this important process."

"Modernization is about strengthening public trust through security, accuracy, and transparency," said Dr. Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University, a commission member and resolution sponsor. "The Commission's work has set a clear path forward-now we need the resources to execute it responsibly."

The adopted resolution affirms strong support for continued modernization and the scheduled full replacement of SEIMS. It can be read here.