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WINTON – An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for here next week after the residency of a former candidate for the Ahoskie Town Council was challenged by another candidate who sought the same seat in the 2023 municipal election.

The outcome of that election is not challenged. Rather, Donald Kirkland is alleging, through a Voter Challenge Form he submitted in December of last year, that David Robertson is not a resident of 906 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive North in Ahoskie. That is the address given on Robertson’s Voter Registration Card.

In last year’s three-man race for one of the Ward B seats on the Ahoskie Town Council, incumbent Charles Reynolds topped the balloting with 94 votes. Robertson received 78 votes while Kirkland was named on 13 ballots.

Kirkland further alleges that Robertson does not reside in Ward B.

At next week’s hearing – scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13 in the Commissioners Meeting Room inside the Hertford County Courthouse – both Kirkland and Robertson will be allowed to present evidence.

That hearing will be conducted by the Hertford County Board of Elections. The board’s attorney will be present.

In addition to Kirkland and Robertson, others receiving official notification of the hearing include the legal team of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Hertford County Manager, the Hertford County chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties, and this newspaper.

According to the Voter Challenge Procedures Guide, as published by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, if the county board finds, during the evidentiary hearing, that the challenged voter is not properly registered or affiliated, the board will cancel or correct the voter registration. If the county board finds the challenged voter is properly registered, the challenge should be overruled.