Michelle Lynn Ball

Michelle Lynn Ball is the incumbent Clerk of Superior Court for Johnston County, North Carolina, and is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 race for Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court as a Republican candidate. The Clerk of Superior Court is the chief judicial administrator for the county, responsible for maintaining all civil and criminal court records, processing filings, issuing orders, and ensuring that a clerk is present for every court session. In criminal matters, the clerk’s office prepares release orders and other documents that judges must sign before a defendant can be released from jail, a function Ball has highlighted in recent testimony before county commissioners ².

Ball was first elected to the office in 2014, succeeding long‑time Clerk Will Crocker, and has since overseen a staff of 43 employees ¹¹. She was sworn in again on December 2, 2024, where she helped administer the oath of office to newly elected county commissioners, underscoring her role as a senior elected official in Johnston County ⁵. Ball lives in Smithfield with her husband, Jerry, a local land surveyor, and their four children. She is an active member of First Baptist Church, where she teaches Sunday school to fifth‑ and sixth‑grade students ¹¹.

During her tenure, Ball has emphasized professional development, regularly attending training offered by the UNC School of Government and the Administrative Office of the Courts. She serves as Chairman of the Resource Committee and as a member of the Legislative and Technology Committees of the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, and she participates in the North Carolina Guardianship Association and the National College of Probate Judges ¹¹. These roles reflect the broader responsibilities of a clerk to stay current on legal technology, policy, and best practices that affect court operations.

In recent months, Ball has confronted rapid growth in the county’s caseload. She told Johnston County Commissioners that filings—including evictions and criminal traffic cases—have “gone up exponentially,” creating staffing shortfalls that threaten timely justice and public safety ². To address this, she formally requested $1 million from the county to hire 11 deputy clerks, arguing that while the state funds the clerk’s office, the General Assembly’s budget impasse has left local resources stagnant at the 2024‑25 level. Ball stressed that deputy clerks are essential for maintaining service standards and for ensuring that individuals are not held in jail longer than necessary while paperwork is processed ².

Ball’s platform for the 2026 election builds on these themes: securing adequate funding for deputy clerks, continuing professional training, and leveraging her committee work to advocate for state resources that support Johnston County’s growing judicial needs. Her record of community involvement, long‑standing public service, and active participation in statewide clerk organizations positions her as a candidate with both administrative experience and a clear agenda for the county’s courts.

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