Mecklenburg board voids some ballots
Published: Fri, Nov. 17, 2006 12:00AM
Modified Fri, Nov. 17, 2006 06:23AM
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closeCHARLOTTE -- With a congressional race and a key legislative race still undecided, election officials in the state's most populous county on Thursday tossed out about one-third of the provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 7 election -- a prelude to today's official reporting of election results.
Michael Dickerson, executive director of the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, said board members met for about four hours Thursday morning, voting to validate 942 of 1,472 provisional ballots in the county.
It is not known how many of the provisionals apply to two key unresolved races: U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes' tight re-election fight with challenger Larry Kissell; and embattled state House Speaker Jim Black's effort to fend off a challenge from Hal Jordan.
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In unofficial results, Hayes leads Kissell by about 450 votes, while Black leads Jordan by just seven votes.
Mecklenburg and other counties were expected to tabulate provisional ballots and report official results today to the State Board of Elections in Raleigh. If the margin in both races remains within 1 percentage point, the trailing candidates will be allowed to demand a recount, which would take place next week.
Among those who showed up to watch the Mecklenburg board consider provisional ballots were lawyers representing Hayes and Kissell; Jordan; and Kaye McGarry, a candidate in a county commissioners' race that also could be headed for a recount.
Hayes' attorneys have sought to have the bulk of provisionals cast in the 8th District race thrown out. That has caused Kissell and the state Democratic Party to accuse Hayes of trying to suppress the vote.
Meanwhile, Kissell said he intends to seek not only a machine recount but a complete hand-eye recount of ballots if the gap in his race with Hayes continues to close.
Such a recount would follow a machine recount and would take place in only a small sample of precincts, to be followed by a full hand-eye recount if the sample results differed significantly from what had already been reported.
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