McCrory: I May Drop Statewide Recount If State Allows Durham County Recount

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory's (R) campaign on Saturday evening announced that if the state Elections Board approves a recount of about 90,000 early votes in Durham County, the governor may drop his statewide recount request.

Trailing Democratic state Attorney General Roy Cooper in the governor's race by more than 7,000 votes as of Sunday, McCrory has claimed that the 2016 election was fraught with fraud, promoting dozens of ballot protests filed by Republicans alleging that votes were cast by people who were dead, who had already voted, or who were convicted felons. The campaign has also claimed that progressive groups may have improperly filled out absentee ballots.

McCrory has refused to concede until the protests have been addressed and filed a request for a recount last week, before all counties in the state finished certifying their vote totals.

After several county election boards rejected protests alleging voter fraud, the McCrory campaign on Saturday focused on about 94,000 early vote ballots in Durham County that were counted late on election night by hand due to a machine malfunction. The Durham County election board rejected a protest filed by a lawyer for state Republicans, Thomas Stark, ruling that there was not enough evidence of "malfeasance," as Stark had claimed, to warrant a recount.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mccrory-durham-recount-appeal

[LisaM]

1. Aren't hand counts generally considered more accurate?

I thought they were essentially the gold standard of vote counting.

[bunny planet]

2. seems very suspicious to me that he doesn't want a state wide recount

maybe his fellow GOP tipped him off that a statewide recount might turn up a different winner in the Presidential race.....things that make you go hmmm. They just want to hang on to the Governorship, not reveal that Hillary actually won North Carolina.

[brooklynite]

11. Any more suspicious than Gore asking for counts in only four Counties in Florida?

You try to control for unknowns; if you think you'll get enough votes in County X, why risk a change in County Y?

[yellowcanine]

3. Sounds like a face saving gesture on McCrory's part.

He knows he lost. Just looking for a way out now. Or perhaps he actually fears a statewide recount might actually turn up Republican cheating? Hmmm.

[angrychair]

4. This line of protest amazes me

He is the sitting governor! The NC SOS works for him! He is a republican! All election boards are controlled by republicans! This is his administration and his fellow Party members that has failed the state by his own admission.

So, he is either incompetent or a liar but either way he is not fit for office by his own admission.

[appal_jack]

5. Oh, he's BOTH incompetent AND a liar. k&r, nt

[moonscape]

12. He's so horrible and hated, even with voter suppression he couldn't win n/t

[Ford_Prefect]

6. McrRory is worried that the statewide recount would show many irregularities

especially in the Senate and Presidential races. There may also be vote shuffles in other races in the state as well.

He knows he lost. He's been told to step back by his GOP owners.

[Raster]

8. Yep. The last thing his masters want is a full-on, under-the-microsope...

...recount of North Carolina. I suspect far too many issues, problems and illegal actions could come to light. The rethuglican high command thought they had North Carolina in the bag. Too bad they underestimated just how much the Gov is hated.

[ananda]

7. No, check every vote in every county.

I think it might uncover something very fishy
in NC.

[Ford_Prefect]

9. McCrory is the one who insisted on the recount saying he'd never give up the office without a fight.

Then the GOP attacked the Durham County provisional ballot vote as fraud filled, a racist meme. They are trying to confuse people about the count and how it is done as a means of continuing the disenfranchisement programs and the propaganda they rest on.

They did not ask for similar treatment of provisional ballots in white and GOP dominated districts anywhere in NC.

[themaguffin]

10. What scum. I can't wait until he is gone.