N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon has filed protests with the Vance and Granville elections boards, citing that, at least in Vance County, votes were counted when, for a variety of reasons, they shouldn’t have been.
In an emergency meeting of the N.C. State Board of Elections, Sossamon was among four candidates from across the state whose protests were considered for review.
The three irregularities Sossamon is citing about the election results include:
- counting ballots of voters who died before the Nov. 5 election;
- incomplete voter registration information;
- overseas voters whose ballots should not have been counted because they have not lived in the state
According to Paul Cox, general counsel of the state board of elections, Sossamon filed protests with Vance County and with Granville County. WIZS News has received a copy of the 4-page letter and three different letters of protest to Vance County on Wednesday afternoon from Phil Strach, Sossamon’s attorney with the law firm Nelson Mullins of Raleigh.
Among the documents accompanying the protest about incomplete information is a 7-page spreadsheet containing the names of inf more than 250 individuals in Vance County who needed to provide additional information to confirm voter registration – information like a driver’s license and the last 4 digits of a social security number.
WIZS News has asked the Granville County Board of Elections Director Tonya Burnette for information about the protests received in her office; we will update this news story when that information is available.
The state board adopted a draft proposal that basically states a county’s board of elections will be the first line of defense for the protests that are “fact-dependent,” leaving the state board to consider other types of protests to maintain uniformity and consistency across the state’s 100 counties.
“Right now, we’re just asking the counties to make a factual determination…to do a data analysis,” Hirsch told the board.
Protestors have by close of business Wednesday, Nov. 27 to file legal briefs; respondents – the other candidate in the four contests – must submit their briefs by close of business on Friday, Dec. 6.
The protest filings add yet another wrinkle to an already complicated and drawn-out process, now more than two weeks after the Nov. 5 general election. Sossamon currently trails challenger Bryan Cohn by 233 votes, but the protests bring into question the vote totals.
With the state canvass set for Tuesday, the board agreed Wednesday that the certification of statewide election results would take place – except for those with a pending recount, including the District 32 House seat that Sossamon currently holds.
As part of the county canvass process, the state generated lists sent out to county boards of elections as part of the review process to remove any ballots with irregularities – ballots cast by felons; ballots cast by voters who died before the Nov. 5 election date; and voters who had their registration denied or removed.
The state board will consider the other three categories of protests – registered voters who are challenging eligibility, overseas or military ballots cast by a U.S. citizen and military/overseas citizen voters using absentee process to cast ballots without providing a photo ID –
in an effort to keep uniform and consistent the interpretation of election law across the state.
