The North Carolina House race will most likely drag on for several more months, with the state not likely to hold a new election until some time in 2019 after election fraud allegations led state elections board officials to refuse certifying the November race.
If there is a race involving only a retake of the general election, that could wrap matters up this spring, Gerry Cohen, former special counsel for the North Carolina General Assembly told The Hill, but should new primaries be ordered, that could stretch the process out until at least next August.
After the Nov. 6 race, Republican Mark Harris was ahead of Democrat Dan McCready by a narrow 905 votes, but after claims of fraud involving absentee ballots in two counties were made, the election results were put on hold.
It would be up to the state elections board or the U.S. House to determine if a new election will be ordered, notes The Hill.
Last week, the state General Assembly passed legislation stating that if a race is rerun, it must involve new primaries. The legislation also overhauls the state's Board of Election, which has been ruled as unconstitutional but has been operating under court orders until Dec. 28.
Gov. Roy Cooper, however, vetoed the bill over an included provision concerning campaign finances, but supports the rest of the legislation
The state's General Assembly may meet as early as this week to try to override the oveto. On Jan. 11, the elections board will hold an evidentiary hearing, just a week after the state's new Democratic majority takes over.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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