Due to the logistical obstacles posed by a high voter participation, counties throughout North Carolina will continue their canvassing sessions into the following week as they move forward with the election certification process. Several county boards felt the need to prolong their examination of the more than 5.7 million ballots cast, an unprecedented quantity in the state’s history, even though the majority of the 100 county boards completed their results on Friday. “The primary purpose of canvass is to ensure that the ballots of eligible voters are counted and those of ineligible individuals are not, that the county board followed all laws in the election and post-election processes, and that the certified results are accurate, no matter how long the process takes,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, underscoring the board’s dedication to an accurate tally.
Delays were partially expected because of the large amount of work that had to be done after Election Day in order to certify an election, yet the canvass period remained the same length of time as any previous election. Verifying the eligibility of provisional ballots, difficulties resulting from voter deaths following early voting, and problems with undeliverable address verification mailings for new registrations are some of the factors causing these delays. The State Board’s Election Results Map allows observers to follow the canvassing process.
The counties of Chatham, Craven, Cumberland, Forsyth, Randolph, and Yancey have all declared that they will meet again on Monday. The times for the majority of these sessions have already been scheduled, while the rest are still awaiting final scheduling. Extensions may be announced by other counties that continued to work late Friday night.
The deadline for recount petitions is unaffected by the delays. According to state law, in statewide elections, a second-place candidate cannot request a recount unless the vote difference is 10,000 votes or less. The difference must be less than or equal to one percent of the total votes cast in the contest following the county canvass for non-statewide competitions. Recount requests must be submitted in writing by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 18, for contests under county jurisdiction, and by noon on Tuesday, November 19, for contests under the authority of the State Board of Elections. A candidate would have 48 hours to request a recount if results changed after the deadline, making them eligible.
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