GOP candidate: Board change limits chance of new election
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Republican in the nation's last undecided congressional race says he believes changes to North Carolina's elections board mean a new election is less likely.
Mark Harris told The Charlotte Observer on Friday he believes the possibility of new election "dropped significantly" when a judicial panel last month dissolved the nine-member State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.
The board was investigating alleged ballot fraud by an operative hired by the Harris' campaign.
A five-member board with three Democrats and two Republicans is expected to be named by Jan. 31. The law then requires that four of the members vote to order a new election.
But three members also must vote to certify the election. Unofficial returns show Harris defeated Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in the 9th District race.
