In the tight race for North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6, Republican candidate Jefferson G. Griffin has requested a partial hand recount after a statewide machine recount. He trails Democratic candidate Allison Riggs by just 734 votes out of 5.5 million cast, according to the State Board of Elections release.
All 100 county boards of elections will soon begin a manual recount of randomly selected precincts and early voting sites. This is required by state law for close races to check for discrepancies that machines may have missed. The initial recount involved re-feeding ballots through tabulators by county election teams.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board, said in the same release, "The county boards of elections have worked and continue to work tirelessly throughout this election and the post-election period, including the recount process." She emphasized their commitment to ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the outcome in this close race.
The State Board has randomly selected the precincts for manual recount, with the list released yesterday morning. Recounts are set to begin tomorrow, with many counties starting today. Schedules and locations for these meetings are being posted online for public access.
The recount process is open to the public, with candidates, their legal teams, media, and the public allowed to observe. However, individual ballots remain private, and photography is prohibited to protect voter confidentiality.
