No, there won’t be a recount of Trump’s win in NC. These are the facts.

A frenzy of posts are appearing under hashtags like #Recount2024 and #DemandARecount across social media platforms, calling for a fresh look at ballots in the 2024 presidential election.

Posts like these are the latest in a surge of election misinformation spreading online, and are often accompanied by hashtags like #TrumpCheated and speculation from some on the left into the legitimacy of the election results.

Here are the facts.

Ticket-splitting

Some online pointed to ticket-splitting in swing states like North Carolina as suspicious. One user wrote:

“It’s weird to me how many North Carolina voters decided to elect Democrats for Governor, Senator, and a whole lot of other positions, but they were like ‘nah’ to Kamala.

“I’ve never seen that happen before. And as long as we don’t storm the Capitol, why can’t we DEMAND an investigation?”

Few, if any, Democratic candidates in North Carolina took up such calls.

But Florida attorney and Democratic politician Pam Keith shared her doubts, posting: “Trump’s margin in NC is based ENTIRELY on under-votes. Dems won the whole ballot except the top spot. This makes absolutely NO SENSE! It’s counter to the behavior of both Dems and Republicans. The fact that EVERY swing state went Trump exclusively on under votes”

In reality, Republicans won a number of down-ballot races in North Carolina this year, including half the Council of State and, if early results hold up, all four statewide judicial races.

What’s more, the practice of electing a Republican president but Democratic state leadership is normal for the state.

N.C. Rep. Wesley Harris pointed out that history while pushing back against such claims. The Democrat was defeated by Republican Brad Briner for the state treasurer seat last week.

“This is completely untrue,” Rep. Harris tweeted. “NC has a history of splitting ballots. Please stop spreading this misinformation, particularly without getting your facts right.”

Is Harris campaign pursuing a recount?

Earlier this week, some on the left took to social media to share the fine print in the latest donation-seeking email from the Harriz-Walz campaign. The language, which is also on the campaign’s website, indicates funding would go toward a recount:

“The first $41,300/$15,00 from a person/multicandidate committee (“PAC”) will be allocated to the DNC. The next $3,300/$5,000 from a person/PAC will be allocated to Harris for President Recount Account.”

Allegations that the campaign was pursuing a recount fueled posts casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election results, and urging the Democratic nominee not to concede the race.

One X account, portraying itself as a news source, reported that “Kamala’s campaign says, They can Overturn Trump’s Election Victory with a Recount.” The post garnered several million views before it was issued a community note, and as of Wednesday had been seen more than 21 million times.

But Vice President Kamala Harris has not indicated that she intends to challenge the election results, and she conceded the election to former President Donald Trump last week. Further, the campaign’s fundraising effort indicated that it would benefit Democratic candidates in down-ballot races that are too close to call.

Fundraising emails sent by the Harris Fight Fund plead: “As you read this, there are U.S. Senate and House races that are either too close to call, or within the margin of recounts or certain legal challenges. They all need our help to get across the finish line.”

Ultimately, whether or not a recount can happen isn’t up to the campaign — it’s up to North Carolina state law. Statutes govern how, when, and the conditions that must be met before a second-place candidate can request a recount.

For the presidential race, the margin between candidates must be “one‑half of one percent (0.5%) of the votes cast in the ballot item, or 10,000 votes, whichever is less.”

Trump’s margin of victory against Harris in the state far exceeds this threshold. He’s garnered a lead of more than 180,000 votes — a difference equal to 3.4% of the total vote.

Other states set similar guidelines, and the campaign cannot order a recount unless these conditions are met. Trump received the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure the presidency, the AP declared last week, and is maintaining wide enough leads to avoid recounts in key swing states.

If a candidate is to request a recount in North Carolina’s presidential election, they also must do so by the deadline following canvass, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. This year’s canvass — when all 100 county boards meet to certify results — will begin on Friday at 11 a.m.

Requests for a recount must be submitted in writing to the State Board of Elections by noon on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

A separate process allows a county board of elections or the state board to order what is known as a discretionary recount to complete the canvass. A county board can’t order a recount if the state board already denied it.

This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 3:04 PM.