Five Facts: Alleged Election Fraud in North Carolina House Race
A month after Election Day one critical House race in North Carolina is embroiled in scandal, and its outcome remains uncertain. In November, Democratic candidate Dan McCready conceded the race to represent the state’s 9th District to Republican candidate Mark Harris, who had previously defeated the incumbent holder of the seat in the primary. However, new insight into possible election fraud caused McCready to rescind his concession last Thursday, putting the seat back in play for Democrats.
Here are five facts about the possible fraud for the House seat and the various outcomes that could ensue.
1. Dan McCready, a Marine Corps veteran and small business owner, received 905 fewer votes than Mark Harris, a Baptist minister, in the November 6 election. Despite this, the North Carolina Board of Elections has yet to declare Harris the winner because of problems with mail-in ballots. This race remains the only House election in the country where a winner has yet to be declared.
2. Voters in the district have come forward saying that Leslie McCrae Dowless, a Republican operative in the state who is also a convicted felon, paid them to have him collect their absentee ballots. This is illegal under North Carolina state law. Talking Points Memo reported that in Bladen County, which sits between Fayetteville and Wilmington, Harris won 61 percent of mail-in absentee ballots. However, only 19 percent of voters who received absentee ballots there are registered as Republicans.
3. Furthermore, CNN reports that seven witnesses in Bladen County signed more than 10 ballots each — three signed more than 40 and another signed more than 30. While North Carolina law requires a witness to sign absentee ballots, these people are usually family and friends. This fraud is not only illegal, but it also corroborates voters’ perceptions that absentee ballots are more likely to be tampered with.
4. The controversy is not limited to Bladen County; Robeson County, which sits adjacent to Bladen County, has also had irregularities in their absentee ballots. Four people in Robeson County served as witnesses for dozens of ballots, according to CNN. One woman signed 57 ballots, while another signed 28. The latter appears to be connected to Dowless.
5. On Friday, Harris released a video that indicated his support for a new election should there be evidence of fraud. It is possible that the North Carolina Board of Elections will call for a new election, in which case it will be the first time in state history that fraud has forced a new vote. The Hill reports that the outcome of the race may not be known for weeks, or even longer.
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