Two candidates in Buncombe County’s primary elections are facing formal challenges to their eligibility for office. At a special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Buncombe County Board of Elections will hear disputes regarding Asheville City Council candidate Antanette Mosley — the city’s current vice mayor — and Buncombe County sheriff candidate Victor “Vic” Morman.
Mosley has been under scrutiny by state elections officials since Dec. 15, following reports that she had claimed permanent-resident property-tax exemptions in Georgia while voting in North Carolina and serving on the Asheville City Council. A subsequent report by WLOS found that Mosley did not live at the Kenilworth address she claims on her voter registration. North Carolina State Board of Elections spokesperson Jason Tyson confirmed Jan. 8 that a state-level investigation remains ongoing.
But Mosley’s Council candidacy wasn’t formally disputed until the Jan. 8 deadline for filing challenges. In a document submitted to the BCBOE, former city of Asheville employee and erstwhile Council candidate John Miall cited news reports about Mosley’s multiple residences and voting history. North Carolina state law requires candidates to be able to vote for the office they’re seeking; only Asheville residents are eligible to vote for Council. Mosley could not have legally voted in city elections, as public records show she did, while also claiming Georgia tax exemptions at the same time.
Miall was not immediately available for comment on the challenge. Mosley directed all requests for comment on her ongoing legal issues to her attorney, Asheville-based Eugene Ellison…