The North Carolina State Board of Elections has received a report on an alleged scheme to exchange cash for votes in the upcoming Wilmington city council elections.
A scandal erupted when a New Hanover County voter revealed they received text messages promising cash in exchange for their vote for three Democratic Party candidates for city council. The voter received $100 per ballot according to the redacted texts.
The sender of one message said that they wanted to follow up with a conversation from the “No Kings’ protests last month and remind the recipient about the upcoming municipal election in New Hanover County. The sender listed the Democratic Party’s candidates, urged the recipient to cast their vote and then stated “Each candidate will give you $100 for your vote”.
According to state Republican officials, the same message appears to have appeared multiple times.
North Carolina Republican Party has confirmed they have reviewed all unreacted emails it received and forwarded them to State Board of Elections. North Carolina Republican Party Chair Jason Simmons said that an investigation was vital for ensuring the integrity of elections.
This is disturbing. In a recent press release, Simmons stated that the allegation about paying voters and trying to buy votes is a slap on our values. We remain committed to the integrity and fairness of elections in North Carolina and we will work tirelessly to ensure that elections are free, transparent, and honest.
John Hinnant of the New Hanover County Republican Party urged the Carolina Journal to be vigilant when speaking to the .
We take these accusations very seriously. “The voter who got this message was right to report it,” said he. If you notice something, report it. And remember that taking a photo inside a polling station is against the law.
Left wing groups have offered voters $100 to vote for three Democratic candidates a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ncpol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>#ncpol/a>. Left wing groups have offered voters $100 to vote for three Democratic candidates #ncpol pic.twitter.com/IOV4GYz76E
— Nick Craig (@nicholasmcraig) October 31, 2025
Jill Hopman is the chairwoman of New Hanover County Democratic Party. She said that the message was not related to local Democratic candidates, or even the party, before calling the report a hoax.
New Hanover Democratic Party believes that anyone who tries to buy votes should face prosecution. Hopman, in a press release said: “Let’s not be misled by the truth.” One well-known MAGA local activist received a message via text from a nontraceable anonymous number, not associated with any party or candidate. There was nothing that suggested it could be indicative of an ongoing scheme. Instead of waiting on the NC Board of Elections, which will investigate the farce, NCGOP has decided to make this a circus.
In a post on social media, State Auditor Dave Boliek stated that the office was made aware of these allegations.
Our office will offer any assistance or resources needed for a thorough investigation of this case. Boliek wrote on X that “we will hold bad actors responsible and give voters the confidence they need in our elections.”
