The Bladen County Board of Election met Friday at 4 pm to go over Election provisionals, mail-in ballots and other business.
There were a total of five provisionals in Bladen County for the past Election. Out of those provisionals four counted and one did not. Two from Bladenboro and two from Elizabethtown counted. The one provisional in Clarkton that would have been the tie breaker between Lawrence McDougal and Jimmy Hudson, did not count according to the board.
Absentee ballots that were returned since Election Day totaled four. According to the board the absentee ballots delivered were not time stamped. Mail-in ballots must be post marked by 5 pm on Election Day
according to state law in order for them to count in the election otherwise they do not count if they are received after Election Day.
According to the board the mail-in ballots received were not time stamped and received after Election Day.
Board of Election member, Al T. Daniels said, “The postal department needs to re-address how the ballots are delivered to the post office. I have had discussions with the postal service.”
He continued “I want to go up to the state level to look at the issue and propose a solution. I will keep pushing this issue and not wait until March.”
The board discussed how important the issue is and the need for the postal service to time stamp the ballots so that every vote can be counted if any way possible.
Since the tie between the two candidates was not broken today by the provisional votes, North Carolina Statue 163-292 says, “If two or more candidates receiving the highest number of votes each receive the same number of votes, the board of elections shall determine the winner by lot.”
Chair of the Bladen County Board of Elections Bobby Ludlum said on the issue, “If there is not resolution by Tuesday the Board of Election will resolve the issue after a canvass on Tuesday as required by state law. ”
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