Board members Gerry Cohen and Greg Flynn were formally censured Wednesday for their role in including the ballots in the final count. Both men apologized during the hearing.
The case centers on 16 ballots cast by voters who voted early but died before Election Day. The Wake County board voted to count those ballots, a move that conflicted with guidance issued by the North Carolina State Board of Elections directing counties to remove such votes.
The dispute also drew a complaint from two voters in Salisbury seeking to have the ballots taken out of the count.
Cohen and Flynn said the issue comes down to interpretation of election law and whether county boards can take actions that differ from state-level directives.
The controversy comes as lawmakers consider potential changes to election governance. Democrats say a pending bill at the General Assembly would inject more politics into the elections process, an assertion Republicans have denied.
The situation could lead to further changes involving county and state election boards.
ABC11's Sean Coffey contributed to this report.