RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The countrys last undecided congressional election was marred by falsified signatures, disappearing documents and blank ballots that were filled in by people hired by the Republican candidate, North Carolina elections officials said.
The state elections board could decide as early as Tuesday whether possibly criminal ballot fraud was unfortunate but tolerable, or whether to order a new election in the 9th congressional district.
A political operative hired by Republican Mark Harris led a coordinated, unlawful and substantially resourced absentee ballot scheme in last years general election in rural Bladen and Robeson counties, which are part of the congressional district, state elections director Kim Strach said Monday.
The operative, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., was called to testify Monday, but his attorney refused to put him on the stand without legal protection against prosecution for events he described. The board refused.
The first of what could be a days-long hearing produced Dowless workers testifying that they sometimes filled in votes on unfinished, unsealed mail-in ballots. But there was scant evidence that Harris knew about it or even benefited.
Harris narrowly leads Democrat Dan McCready in unofficial results. But the race wasnt certified in November after rumors of Dowless operation focusing on mail-in ballots. The elections board is expected to either declare a winner or order a new election after the hearing.
Dowless was hired to produce votes for Harris and Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVickers, but his methods last year included paying people to visit potential voters who had received absentee ballots and getting them to hand over those ballots, whether completed or not, Dowless worker Lisa Britt testified.
Its illegal in North Carolina for anyone other than a guardian or close family member to handle a voters ballot because of the risk that it could be altered before being counted.
