If you thought the election results from 2018 were all settled and complete, then you’re unaware of the ongoing catastrophe in North Carolina.
Politics
After more than 3 months since voters went to the polls, the North Carolina congressional race between Democrat Dan McCready and Republican Mark Harris remains undecided. Why, you ask? Solid evidence of ballot-tampering by political operatives associated with the GOP candidate has completely tainted the election process, prompting state officials to declare a do-over election.
Late last week, the North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 5-0 in favor of a do-over in the 9th Congressional District. Board chairman Bob Cordle said “the corruption, the absolute mess with the absentee ballots” left no other viable option than to hold a new election.
Originally, Harris launched a strong bid with the state to be declared the winner. However, once corruption evidence involving ballot fraud by operatives on his payroll began to mount, he swiftly changed course.
“Through the testimony, I’ve listened to over the past three days, I believe a new election should be called,” Harris said last week. “It’s become clear to me that the public’s confidence in the 9th District seat general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted.”
Harris added that he had no knowledge of the illegal practices allegedly used by those working on his behalf.
Praising the board’s decision as “a great step forward for democracy in North Carolina,” Democrat Dan McCready, who is a Harvard-educated founder of a solar energy company, was left with new hope for a victory.
“From the moment the first vote was stolen in North Carolina, from the moment the first voice was silenced by election fraud, the people have deserved justice,” McCready said in a statement.
In the now-erased election results from November, Harris led McCready by 905 votes out of about 280,000 in a district that includes part of Charlotte and extends eastward through several counties along the southern edge of the state. However, election officials refused to certify the outcome once allegations surfaced that Harris political operative Leslie McCrae Dowless tampered with mail-in absentee ballots.
According to testimony, Dowless conducted an illegal “ballot harvesting” operation by hand-collecting absentee ballots from voters then offering to mail the ballots on their behalf.
Dowless’ workers in rural Bladen County testified that they were instructed to collect blank or incomplete ballots, forge signatures on them and even fill in votes for local candidates.
To date, no legal charges have been filed — but that could change.
The decision for a do-over will very likely leave the congressional seat empty until the fall, board attorney Josh Lawson said. New primaries and a new general election will need to be held, with new dates set by the elections board.
The congressional seat has been in Republican hands since 1963.
I had no idea there was still a election out there undecided. I am glad they caught the Repubs cheating though and decided the only right thing is to do the whole thing over. Can we do that same thing with Trump?