Senator Berger Seeks Further Recount in Tight Primary
As the dust settles from a machine recount in a closely contested Republican primary, Senate leader Phil Berger is pushing for further scrutiny in his race against Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Despite the recount affirming Page’s narrow 23-vote lead, Berger is advocating for a hand-to-eye recount of randomly selected ballots, which could commence the following week under state regulations.
Berger is also requesting a complete recount of all votes or a focused recount of ballots classified as “overvotes” or “undervotes.” These are instances where the ballot readers either detected no choice or multiple selections in the race.
Berger’s campaign highlights inconsistencies in the recount methods between Rockingham and Guilford counties. Rockingham’s election officials incorporated two ballots through a manual assessment of the markings, such as check marks missed by the machine, whereas Guilford did not count two votes due to unclear markings as determined by the machine.
In a written communication to the State Board of Elections, Berger stated, “In such a close election, we must be certain that every lawful vote is counted. The machines did not count 222 ballots that were labeled as overvotes or undervotes. Those uncounted ballots, which could include discernible votes for candidates, are nearly ten times the margin in this contest. If the machines have misread just a fraction of those ballots, then the current results of the election could be incorrect.”
Meanwhile, Page’s campaign argues that a full recount at this stage would breach state law, which dictates a full hand-to-eye recount only if discrepancies arise during the initial hand-to-eye recount of selected ballots. “Phil Berger is once again asking for special treatment and trying to change the rules after he lost,” Page spokesman Patrick Sebastian remarked. “North Carolina law is clear — and it applies to everyone. Sen. Berger doesn’t get to rewrite it because he doesn’t like the outcome.”
Berger, however, contends that the State Board of Elections has the authority to adjust the recount process. “The State Board of Elections has the discretion to order recounts ‘when necessary to complete the canvass in an election,'” Berger argued in his letter, emphasizing their power to mandate a hand-to-eye recount if required.
This ongoing debate over the recount procedures could prolong the final resolution of the election. A defeat for Berger would significantly alter the power structure within the state legislature, where he has been a leading figure since 2011.
Beyond recounts, Berger’s team has lodged challenges in both counties concerning approximately a dozen votes. In Guilford, a hearing is scheduled for April 6 to address issues regarding voters potentially receiving incorrect ballots, preventing them from participating in the race. In Rockingham, the campaign challenges involve unaffiliated voters who allegedly improperly switched from a Democratic to a Republican ballot.
