After State Auditor Dave Boliek Called For His Resignation, Surry County Board of Elections Resigns

Today, State Auditor Dave Boliek called on James Yokeley to resign as Chari of the Surry County Board of Elections. Boliek made this call after Wilmington Police announced his arrest for allegedly tampering with his granddaughter’s ice cream with illegal narcotics.  

After this news broke, State Auditor Dave Boliek, who appoints the state and local board of elections, called from Yokeley to resign. 

“The arrest and investigation of the Surry County Board of Elections Chair is very disturbing. This matter distracts from election management in Surry County and must be addressed quickly and directly,” said State Auditor Boliek. “Our office is built on holding individuals accountable. He needs to resign, and Surry County needs a new Board of Elections Chair. If he doesn’t resign, I’ll be requesting the State Board take action today to remove him as Chair.” 

The State Board of Elections was preparing to come into emergency session to remove Yokeley from his position. As of 11:44am this morning, he officially resigned from his position.  

Here is what State Auditor Boliek had to say about his decision, “As I had called for, the Chair of the Surry County Board of Elections has resigned. With his resignation, the Surry County Board and State Board can now, without distraction, move forward with the process of appointing a replacement." 

Tim’s Take: If Yokeley was a Democrat not a Republican this story wouldn’t even make the news. But because progressives want to spin a narrative it receives outsized attention. There are hundreds of people appointed to the county boards of elections. When the allegations surfaced, Republican state leaders immediately called on him to resign and began to take the appropriate action of removing him from his position.