By Erin Smith
There will be rally at the Elizabethtown Middle School in support of “fair elections” on Saturday, February 2, from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Speakers scheduled to attend include NC Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin, Democratic National Committee Member Ray Shawn McKinnon, Indivisible North Carolina District 9 founder Carolyn Eberly, NC Senator Kirk Deviere, Richmond County Commissioner Tavares Bostic, and NC Senate District 25 candidate Helen Probst Mills.
A Facebook posting for the rally reads, “North Carolina voters, especially those in NC-09, deserve fair elections! Rally with District 9 and Bladen County residents and stand together to protect our democracy!”
There is still no decision on the winner of the US Congressional District 9 race. Republican candidate Mark Harris leads Democratic candidate Dan McCready by 905 votes, according to the unofficial results posted on the NC State Board of Elections website.
Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway refused to certify the election and denied Harris’ lawsuit against the NC State Board of Elections.
Judge Ridgeway wrote in his opinion, “Whether the investigation will yield conclusions that the alleged fraud altered the outcome of the election or tainted the public’s confidence in the election results remains an open question. However, the mere existence of that open question, and reports of widespread fraud, more than satisfy the “may have changed the result of an election” qualifier of N.C.G.S. § 163A-1180.”
An investigation is ongoing into the irregularities. The US Committee on House Administration contacted the North Carolina State Board of Elections about the possibility of stepping in with regard to the investigation. A letter was sent to NC State Board of Elections Director Kimberly Strach in early January seeking notes and other investigative materials pertaining to the investigation.
Currently, there is no State Board of Elections panel. The NC State Board of Elections was dissolved by a three judge panel on December 28, 2018. A new five member panel will be installed on January 31, 2019.
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