NC Elections chairman resigns over joke relating cows to women

CARY, N.C. — North Carolina's Board of Elections Chairman has resigned after opening a statewide meeting of elections officials with a joke about cows and women who don't want sex.

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Gov. Roy Cooper accepted Democrat Robert Cordle's resignation on Tuesday. WRAL reports Wake County Board of Elections member Gerry Cohen called the joke Cordle told Monday "misogynistic and wildly inappropriate." Cordle apologized in his resignation letter.

His departure leaves the board split 2-2 for a key vote Thursday on new elections equipment. There are three vendors up for debate.

Voting rights activists have raised concerns about one of the vendors because the machine tabulates the results in a barcode that is not verifiable by voters.

The board voted Monday to delay certification until August to consider requiring "human-readable marks on a paper ballot" as a security measure, before backtracking hours later.

Cordle's resignation could deadlock the board ahead of fast-approaching elections.

According to our news partners at WTVD, Cordle wrote the following statement in his letter of resignation:

"This letter is to inform you that I am resigning my position as chair of the State Board of Elections, effective immediately.

I sincerely apologize to those who heard my joke at the elections conference on Monday and all those affected by my words.

I thank you for the privilege to serve my state and the citizens of North Carolina in this important position and wish my fellow board members, Executive Director (Karen) Brinson Bell and State Board staff success in upcoming elections."

This is the third time in eight months the chair of the State Board of Elections has resigned.

The process could be held up while a fifth person waits to be appointed by the state board.

Associated Press