Dare elections board takes office

Published 9:49 am Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Dare County’s new Board of Elections was sworn in Monday, April 2, in a ceremony in the county’s Justice Center.

Taking the oath of office were Republicans Donna Elms and Carole Warnecki and new Democratic members Sandra Semans Ross and Virginia Simmons Tillett.

Clerk of Court Dean Tolson administered the oath.

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Holding Bibles for board members were Dale Draper for Sandra Semans Ross; for Virginia Tillett, her sons, Johnnie Tillett and Michael Tillett; for Donna Elms, former Board of Elections member Lynda Midgett and for Carole Warnecki, spouse Frank Warnecki.

After the ceremony, an organizing meeting was held.

Elected chair of the board was Sandra Semans Ross; vice chair Carole Warnecki and secretary Virginia Tillett.

Tillett is the first woman of color to serve on the Dare Board of Elections. She previously served on the Dare County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education. She is retired from the College of The Albemarle. Elms and Warnecki are returning board members. Ross is the former editor of the Outer Banks Sentinel.