Roy Cooper’s lead grows in N.C. Governor’s race

Gannon said election officials need the DMV to produce information about people who cast provisional ballots because they weren’t listed on voter rolls, despite saying that they registered or updated their registration at driver’s license offices since a year ago. In fact, some analysts are speculating that we won’t know the victor of this race until after well after Thanksgiving. County canvasses were supposed to be done by Friday, but all have been delayed at least until next week.

The News & Observer of Raleigh (http://bit.ly/2g5qKge ) reports the Halifax County elections board Friday rejected complaints alleging a convicted felon had voted there and absentee voter fraud.

Votes won’t be canvassed until Tuesday, November 22 in Brunswick County either, due to those DMV registration issues. “This was just keeping the process clean”, said Stark, who said he’s pursuing the protest as an individual Durham County voter, not on behalf of the state GOP.

Munn said the volunteers provided a sample ballot, already filled out, for voters to use as they completed their own. Until the state advises the counties on what to do, votes can’t be canvased. Staff recommendations must then be approved or amended by local boards of election before the eligible votes are counted. But once McCrory’s supporters file them all, each county will take the protests to a three-member board.

It is illegal to exchange money for votes or to pay someone to commit voter fraud in the State of North Carolina and under federal law. That has to happen before the votes are canvased. Those voters had until 5 p.m. Thursday to show proof of residency but Smith is not sure how many were resolved. The McCrory campaign, however, is filing formal protests in a challenge to “potentially fraudulent absentee ballots cast for Roy Cooper and other Democrats in 11 additional counties”, says a campaign press release. Libertarian candidate Lon Cecil gained 17. The ballots had write-ins for Dowless’ challenger, Democrat Franklin Graham, but also contained votes for other Democrats, including Cooper. McCrory’s campaign maintains that between any possible fraud, and the tens of thousands of provisional ballots still to be determined, nothing is decided. The Durham County Board of Elections voted Friday to deny a petition requesting a recount of early voting ballots.

Cooper leads McCrory by just over 5,000 votes in a race that remains too close to call, although Cooper has declared victory.

The ballots are the subject of a formal election protest that Republican Gov.

The Cooper campaign dismissed McCrory’s absentee vote complaint as a desperate move by an incumbent who faces losing re-election.

Some analysts, in addition to McCrory’s campaign, say that provisional ballots will determine the outcome of the race for governor. “It is clear that Gov. McCrory has no path to victory and that Cooper’s margin of victory will only grow stronger as final vote totals continue to come in”, said Cooper for N.C. Campaign Manager Trey Nix. That would suggest a number of Trump voters chose Cooper over McCrory – which is borne out in the county breakdowns as well.