In a closely watched primary in North Carolina’s Senate District 26, the battle between Senator Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page has taken a contentious turn. Allegations of incorrect ballots have surfaced, potentially leading to a formal election protest as the deadline looms for filing complaints.
Senator Phil Berger’s campaign claims that some voters in Guilford County may not have received ballots featuring the high-stakes race, potentially impacting the election’s outcome. Berger, trailing by 23 votes after the recent canvass, faces a Tuesday deadline to lodge a formal protest or request a recount.
Amidst this electoral tension, the Berger campaign has reportedly reached out to voters to verify if they received the correct ballots. According to Jonathan Felts, a spokesman for Berger, at least one voter confirmed receiving an incorrect ballot, sparking further investigations among the community.
Felts noted, “We then contacted other individuals who voted in that same community and have identified others who believe they were given the wrong ballot.” Some voters have already signed sworn declarations, although Guilford County’s Board of Elections has not yet received them, according to Charlie Collicutt, the county’s elections director.
Meanwhile, the Page campaign has countered these claims, cautioning voters against signing false affidavits. Patrick Sebastian, a post-election advisor to Page, described the Berger campaign’s actions as a “Hail Mary,” aimed at casting doubt on the electoral process.
Ballots and Boundaries
The geographic distribution of ballots is central to this controversy. Senate District 26 includes parts of Rockingham County and rural Guilford County. Page secured a decisive victory in Rockingham, while Berger prevailed in Guilford County, highlighting the significance of each ballot cast.
Page Campaign Responds
Patrick Sebastian, speaking with WUNC, criticized the Berger campaign’s approach, suggesting an impending protest. “There is no way someone got the wrong ballot. This has already been looked into,” Sebastian asserted.
Despite the ongoing friction, Sebastian acknowledged that retrieving ballots from election day poses challenges. However, he mentioned that the Berger campaign could request the Guilford County elections officials to allow affected voters to recast their ballots.
Adam Wagner
/
NC Newsroom
Potential for Formal Protest
Charlie Collicutt from the N.C. Newsroom suggested that the Berger campaign might consider filing a protest if voters were indeed disenfranchised. “With what we are allowed to do at this time, I feel that we have been able to reconcile the ballots cast,” Collicutt stated.
Such a protest would necessitate examining individual ballots, a process contingent upon a formal complaint being lodged. As the situation unfolds, the outcome could significantly influence the political dynamics in North Carolina, where Berger has long wielded substantial influence as the Senate’s president pro tempore.
The primary’s victor will challenge Democrat Steve Luking in the upcoming general election this November.
