MyDD :: NC To Have Statewide Revote

NC To Have Statewide Revote

by southerndemnut, Wed Dec 29, 2004 at 08:08:51 PM EST

First of all, hello to all that read MyDD - I have been away during most of the holidays, family obligations, traveling, personal sickness.

Second of all, in an unprecedented move, NC State Board of Elections has ordered a statewide revote for the NC Commissioner of Agriculture's race.

The race has remained undecided because nearly 4,500 votes were 'lost' by a voting machine in one county. The current margin in the race is 2,287 votes. Incumbent Democrat Britt Cobb is being challenged by Republican Steve Troxler who is running for the second time in as many elections. This is viewed as a win of sorts for Cobb's side as they had pushed for a statewide revote from the get go. Troxler's side had argued to let the vote stand as-is, or to revote only those 4,500 voters who were disenfranchised. The Board of Elections in December had compromised by setting up a revote on January 11, to include not only the disenfranchised 4,500 voters but also anyone else that did not participate in the original vote. Cobb appealed that ruling and Troxler is expected to appeal this latest ruling.

Officials estimate that if a statewide revote were to take place, would be in mid-March. Turnout would be exceedingly low compared to November 2, 2004. State law is written as such to mandate a revote in the office's jurisdiction, in this case statewide, in any revote situation like this.

The last time a statewide revote was done in any state, to my knowledge, was in 1975 in New Hampshire for a US Senate seat.

Tags: General 2008 (all tags)

Permalink :: 7 Comments :: Post a Comment

Other races (none / 0)

Can we have a revote of the senate race betwenn Bowles and Burr?

by sam89 on Wed Dec 29, 2004 at 08:21:41 PM EST

Great! (none / 0)

Thanks for the info, and also for the tidbit about the last statewide recount. IMHO - this historical info is useful to rebutt arguments that we live in a MORE politicized climate today (as in, not really)

by twomblyk on Wed Dec 29, 2004 at 10:24:43 PM EST

Wait till Rossi finds out (none / 0)

Now he has precedent to his idiotic demand of a re-vote. Of course, the circumstances are completely different, but since when did facts get in the way of GOP whining?

by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Dec 30, 2004 at 09:51:45 AM EST

not quite the same (none / 0)

Rossi may want a revote but in this case some votes were actually lost enoungh to make up the difference but a court challange looms here.

by THE MODERATE on Thu Dec 30, 2004 at 10:23:12 AM EST

wow (none / 0)

Thanks for the info. Cobb has been going nonstop since the primary - and that one was an exceedingly narrow victory as well. I almost feel sorry for the guy.

by DrFrankLives on Thu Dec 30, 2004 at 12:21:34 PM EST

E-voting SNAFU Exhibit A (none / 0)

All this thanks to electronic voting machines with no paper trail. The machine in question "filled up," and simply quit counting any ballots cast after that point.

If it had produced a paper trail, a simple recount would have determined the winner, but as it is, the whole election will have to be done over.

If you're always playing the fear card, it's a pretty good sign you're not playing with a full deck!

by Mathwiz on Thu Dec 30, 2004 at 03:52:26 PM EST

More Background On North Carolina (none / 0)

The whole Agriculture race thing is a culmination of four years of topsy-turvy and sometimes bizarre chain of events. From his election in 1964 until he retired in 2000, the Agriculture Commissioner in NC was "Big" Jim Graham. An imposing sort of fellow who was a farmer and a first rate advocate for the state's agricultural programs, who had a penchant for big hats, boots, and cigars. When Graham retired in 2000, the Democrats nominated Meg Scott Phipps, a lawyer and a Haw River farmer. Phipps was the daughter of former Governor Bob Scott, whom Graham had served under during the 1960s, as well as the granddaughter of another. Naturally outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Graham supported Phipps who ran against Steve Troxler the Republican candidate. It was a close election but Phipps won without too much trouble. However she was plagued by controversy almost from the getgo stemming from accepting campaign contributions from business interests involved with the NC State Farm. That whole mess unfolded resulting in Phipps' resignation in 2003, and subsequently Gov. Mike Easley appointed Britt Cobb as interim Commissioner. Cobb was a 30 year career Agriculture employee. With the support of Gov. Easley, Cobb ran in the Democratic primary in 2004 to seek a full term in his own right. Tom Gilmore, a former state representative and party activist gave Cobb a stiff challenge in the primary. In the general election of 2004, Cobb faced Steve Toxler again as the Republican nominee, a farmer from Guilford County. It was pretty much anyone's race, while Cobb was the incumbent Democrat (nominally) he did not have the personal reputation that Jim Graham did previously. As election night returns trickled in, the lead was traded back and forth including during the various recounts. Culminating in a final number of Troxler leading by 2,287 votes. Problem was is that in one county, Carteret, a machine stopped recording votes after a certain point and those people who voted were disenfranchised. What is ironic is that election officials know who those people are so it was possible to offer a revote to only those people, but state law dictates that whenever you have anomalies like this, a revote in the whole jurisdiction is predecated and it is apparent that that will happen.

Who has the advantage in the revote? Well the inital winner is obviously Britt Cobb for the simple reason that as he was losing by the exceedingly small 2,287 vote margin, he now has a chance to win again. Turnout will be exceedingly small, much like an off year primary, so its anyone's game. What will be most interesting is how the 'campaign' is conducted. Due to the scope of the revote across the state, it will take at least a couple of months to put together the logistics and set up the election. So there will be a campaign of sorts. NC is a big state and it can get expensive and the two candidates it is assumed spent most of their money during the regular campaign season.

by southerndemnut on Thu Dec 30, 2004 at 08:59:32 PM EST

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