by WorldTribune Staff, December 2, 2016
The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Nov. 30 voted to conduct a partial recount of votes in Durham County, including the precinct where 94,000 ballots mysteriously turned up just before midnight on election night.
The 3-2 vote by the State Board overturns Durham County’s earlier decision rejecting Gov. Pat McCrory’s recount request for the district.
Precinct 29 is among the Durham precincts subject to the recount. Precinct 29 is the site where 94,000 ballots suddenly showed up just before midnight on Nov. 8.
Durham’s Election Board chair estimated that the recount would take at least a week.
State Board Member Rhonda Amoroso, a Republican, said at the Nov. 30 meeting that there was a “taint” on the Durham results and “the case has been made to order a recount.”
Kevin Hamilton, the Seattle-based lawyer for Democratic candidate Roy Cooper, argued against the recount.
“Mere suspicion … is not enough. Uncertainty is not enough,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton is a senior partner alongside Marc Elias at Perkins Coie in Seattle. The Perkins Coie firm has made headlines recently for representing Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin’s recount.
Elias also has been hired by leftist billionaire George Soros with a multi-million dollar commitment to challenge Voter ID laws in several states, including North Carolina.
Meanwhile, Cooper campaign manager Trey Nix said: “It’s time for Gov. McCrory to concede. It’s clear there is no path to victory for Gov. McCrory. It’s time for Gov. McCrory to accept the election results and respect the will of the voters.”