As a heated race unfolds in North Carolina’s Senate District 26, Senator Phil Berger is challenging the election’s integrity by requesting the opportunity for at least eight voters to recast their votes. The senator contends that these voters were deprived of the chance to vote on the district race, potentially impacting the tight contest.
Senator Berger has reached out to both the N.C. State Board of Elections and Guilford County Board of Elections, urging a thorough investigation into the March 3 primary election. He aims to uncover whether more ballots mistakenly excluded the race between himself and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
Currently trailing by a mere 23 votes, Berger’s campaign has pinpointed discrepancies in ballot issuance, notably in Guilford County where he secured a significant lead. The campaign claims several voters who should have received ballots including the Senate District 26 race did not, prompting further scrutiny and protests.
Among the protests raised, issues include a Rockingham County resident allegedly facing registration errors and another voter whose party affiliation change to unaffiliated was mishandled. Additionally, three unaffiliated voters reportedly switched from Democratic to Republican ballots mid-process.
“Close election results like this are why the review and recount process allows for a careful review to ensure all legal votes are counted,” stated Jonathan Felts, Berger’s campaign spokesperson.
From the voters asserting incorrect ballots, two cast their votes early at the Deep River Recreation Center. The Berger campaign claims to have identified six more voters impacted by the ballot omission, with two voting at Jamestown Town Hall during early voting.
Berger’s complaint emphasizes the necessity of a formal investigation, citing state laws permitting voters with omitted elections on their ballots to have an additional two-week period post-canvass to cast their vote correctly.
Patrick Sebastian, representing the Page campaign, countered that the number of disputed votes is insufficient to alter the election outcome. “We trust that our election officials will not take this bait and will affirm the will of the voters, not the will of one man,” Sebastian remarked.
Also Conducting Recount
In conjunction with the protests, Berger has requested a machine recount, pointing to potential “overvotes” and “undervotes” where ballots were either overfilled or left blank. The campaign identified 233 such instances, a figure significantly exceeding the current vote margin.
Felts further elaborated, “The math on this is the 233 potentially impacted voters is over 10 times the current vote difference of only 23 votes and could, obviously, impact the election results.” The campaign advocates for visually examining these ballots during the recount to avoid a comprehensive hand recount.
The N.C. State Board of Elections has scheduled Berger’s request for consideration in their upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, the recount process has commenced in Guilford County, with preliminary results suggesting minor shifts. As the recount continues, Rockingham County is set to begin its process shortly.
