North Carolina election officials are reviewing more than 36,000 provisional ballots this week ahead of Friday’s county canvass, with the outcome of four congressional races and a pivotal state Senate seat still undecided.
Under state procedure, each county board of elections meets after Election Day to approve, partially approve, or reject provisional ballots before results are finalized. That process is underway now across the state, according to the State Board of Elections.
Four U.S. House races in seats currently held by Republicans remain uncalled: North Carolina’s 3rd District, held by Greg Murphy; the 5th District, held by House Rules Chair Virginia Foxx; the 7th District, held by David Rouzer; and the 10th District, held by Pat Harrigan.
The Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party say they are monitoring the outstanding ballots and reviewing the canvass process in each county to ensure it follows state election law. North Carolina has long maintained one of the country’s most established election integrity operations, with hundreds of volunteer attorneys and poll observers along with a dedicated state director and staff.
Surprise Results Still Being Sorted Out
Last Tuesday’s election produced a number of unexpected outcomes in the state. Among them, Democrat Richard Ojeda defeated NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson. Ojeda had previously said he would be “happy to go to jail” for beating up Stephen Miller. Another Democratic candidate who won last week, Lakesha Womack, is due in court on Tuesday on a felony warrant stemming from her failure to return a rental vehicle.
A Single Seat Could Decide the State Senate
The closest and most consequential contest for state Republicans is in state Senate District 24, where only a couple hundred ballots separate the two candidates. State Sen. Danny Britt, a Republican, currently leads Democrat Catina Hamm as provisional ballots are tallied this week.
If Britt’s lead holds, Republicans will retain control of the state Senate by a single vote. If Hamm overtakes him, the chamber would be split 25-25, handing the tie-breaking vote to Democratic Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt.
Final results are expected to come into clearer focus after Friday’s canvass, when county boards complete their review of the provisional ballots.
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