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Local Dems: Recent Watauga Elections Meeting To Be Featured on The Rachel Maddow Show Tonight or Friday

UPDATE: Click here to watch the 11-minute segment that featured Watauga County and HCPress.com.

By Jesse Wood

Aug. 15, 2013. North Carolina has been on the national stage this summer for sweeping legislation ranging from unemployment cuts and abortion restrictions to most recently the Voter ID bill. 

Now, Watauga County and the Town of Boone will receive its share of the limelight.

imgres-1Jesse Presnell, the 3rd Vice Chair of the Watauga County Democratic Party, said staff from The Rachel Maddow Show has been in touch Thursday afternoon because of his video footage showcasing the entire Watauga County Board of Elections meeting held last Monday. To say the least, the meeting was contentious.

“I think they are going to do a piece on several board of elections in North Carolina with us being highlighted, talking specifically about Republican disenfranchisement of voter rights,” Presnell said at 4 p.m. on Thursday. “They asked for contact info for a few folks, asked us for video footage. We are still in communication with them.”

Presnell said that while he considers himself a Democratic activist, he said the issues are “way more” than a Democrat issue and noted that registered Republicans and independents – such as Deborah Greene and Nate DiCola – have voiced their concerns about how the meeting was conducted.

“I would say that 20 to 30 percent of the supporters are unaffiliated. It’s great to see a big coalition of diverse voters,” Presnell said.

Presnell added that, from what he has been told, the piece featuring Watauga County Board of Elections meeting, is 90 percent likely to be aired tonight or 10 percent likely to be aired Friday night.

A spokesperson from MSNBC didn’t immediately return a phone call or email on Thursday afternoon.

The Rachel Maddow Show airs on MSNBC at 9 p.m. eastern standard time.