As counties across North Carolina push forward with the election certification process, some will carry their canvassing meetings into the next week due to the logistical challenges presented by a historic voter turnout. While most of the 100 county boards finalized their results on Friday, several found the need to extend their review of the more than 5.7 million ballots cast, an unprecedented number in the state's history. Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the State Board of Elections, emphasized the board's commitment to an accurate tally, stating, "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," as reported by the State Board of Elections.
Given the extensive amount of work that must be done after Election Day to certify an election, with the canvass period remaining the same amount of time as any other election, delays were somewhat anticipated. Factors contributing to these delays include verifying provisional ballots' eligibility, challenges due to voter deaths after early voting, and issues with undeliverable address verification mailings for new registrations. Observers can keep abreast of the canvassing progress by monitoring the State Board's Election Results Map.
Chatham, Craven, Cumberland, Forsyth, Randolph, and Yancey counties have all announced they will reconvene their meetings on Monday, with specific times already set for most, and others pending final scheduling. Additional counties that were still working late into Friday evening may announce extensions as necessary.
Despite the delays, the timeline for recount requests remains unaffected. State law stipulates that for statewide contests, the vote difference must be 10,000 votes or fewer for a second-place candidate to demand a recount. For non-statewide contests, the difference must be less or equal to 1 percent of the total votes cast in the contest after the county canvass. Written requests for recounts are due for contests under county jurisdiction by 5 p.m. Monday, November 18, and for those under the State Board of Elections' purview, no later than noon on Tuesday, November 19. Should results change post-deadline, leading to a candidate's eligibility for a recount, they would then have 48 hours to make their request.
