A former GOP chair told election official in NC how to vote at meeting, texts show

Kyle Ingram, The News & Observer on Sep 9, 2026

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Election officials in Granville County received instructions from a former county Republican leader on what to say and how to vote during a contentious meeting on early voting plans this summer, according to texts obtained by The News & Observer through a public records request.

Michael Magnanti, the former chair of the Granville County Republican Party, repeatedly texted the two Republican county election board members advising them on how to defend their decision to keep a popular early voting site in a racially diverse area closed — despite receiving extra money from the county to restore it.

“Say we don’t agree,” Magnanti texted member Debby Butler. “... Just tell her we do not agree.”

Throughout the meeting, Magnanti continued to tell Butler explicitly what to say to her colleagues, and encouraged her not to rethink her decision — even as she appeared to consider doing so.

“Just vote no,” he said.

The messages came as Butler and Douglas Smith, the board’s other Republican member, were pressed by Democrats to explain why they still opposed hosting an early voting site at the South Branch Library in Creedmoor, an area in which Democrats fared better than the rest of the county in 2024.

“At this point, I’m not willing to change my opinion,” Butler said during the July 15 meeting.

Over 150 texts sent during 2-hour meeting

The texts were first made known after a local photographer, Cole Rodger, captured pictures of Magnanti’s phone during the meeting. The County Beacon Franklin-Granville reported on those photos at the time, but did not have access to the full record of the conversations.

In response to the N&O’s public records request, which was filed shortly after the meeting, both Butler and Smith said they had deleted the text messages in question, with Butler calling them “nothing evil.”

While Butler was able to retrieve the texts from her cell carrier, Smith said his request to his provider was unsuccessful, though he acknowledged having received texts from Magnanti.

The records provided by Butler show over 150 individual text messages sent from Magnanti over the course of the two-hour meeting.

He frequently reassured Butler, who rarely spoke during the heated meeting, that she was “almost there” and told her “you can do it.”

At two points, Butler appeared to rethink her opposition to the site, writing “I can’t do this” and “I want to give in.”

Magnanti responded “No, they are wrong,” and “just vote no.”

Photos captured by Rodgers during the meeting appeared to show messages advising Smith as well.

“Doug please no more comments,” Magnanti wrote. “Please do not make or 2nd a motion. Please mute your phone.”

Members deleted texts from former GOP chair

When Granville’s elections director reached out to Smith to ask for the records requested by the N&O, he told her the messages were “no longer relevant,” according to an email provided by the director.

“I had forgotten to set my phone to silent during the meeting,” he wrote. “When I heard my alerts tone, I realized my error and silenced my phone without reading any texts. After the meeting adjourned, I quickly glanced at them and, seeing they were some form of comments pertaining to meeting protocol from Mike and no longer relevant, I deleted them all.”

North Carolina’s public records law states that public officials may not destroy any documents deemed public records.

“Whoever unlawfully removes a public record from the office where it is usually kept, or alters, defaces, mutilates or destroys it shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor,” the law states, noting that violations come with a fine up to $500.

Butler declined a request for comment and Smith did not respond by the time of publication. The N&O texted Magnanti requesting comment, but he did not provide one by the time of publication.

The N&O also requested any texts sent between the board’s Democratic members and local officials from the Democratic Party during the meeting, but member Sharyn Alvarez said she did not receive any. The other Democrat on the board, Teresa Gilreath, also did not provide any such records.

While Granville’s Republican board members voted against the South Branch site, the matter ultimately went to the State Board of Elections, which considers non-unanimous early voting plans.

The state board, which has a 3-2 Republican majority, voted to bring back the South Branch site but refused the request of Democrats to also restore a site in downtown Oxford — another area in which Democrats fared better in the 2024 election.

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