RALEIGH – Democratic candidate Ashley Bell says she will request a recount in North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District if the post-canvass margin remains within the state’s eligibility threshold.
Republican incumbent Pat Harrigan leads Bell 146,594 to 144,109 in unofficial results, a difference of 2,485 votes. Libertarian Steven Feldman has 4,711 votes. Harrigan’s margin over Bell is about 0.84 percentage points.
Bell announced her plans Wednesday after provisional ballots moved the race inside North Carolina’s recount range. She said the campaign would file immediately after county canvasses if the margin still qualifies.
The Bell campaign also said it had received reports of technology-related irregularities. Bell did not allege fraud. Her statement framed the requested recount as a step to ensure that eligible ballots are counted and the tabulation is checked under state law.
The State Board of Elections says a candidate trailing in a nonstatewide contest may demand a recount when the post-canvass margin is 1% or less of all votes cast in the contest. County boards are scheduled to canvass results at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Military and overseas ballots that were cast on time may arrive through 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
For contests under State Board jurisdiction, a written recount demand is due by noon Tuesday, Nov. 17. State guidance says an initial machine recount must begin within three business days after an eligible demand is received. A candidate may seek a sample hand-to-eye recount after the machine recount under the procedures set by law and State Board guidance.
The State Board’s recount memo directs county boards to use bipartisan teams for any hand-to-eye review and to publish notice before a recount begins. Ballot-secrecy requirements continue throughout the process.
The NC-10 result remains unofficial until the canvass and certification process is complete. Bell’s announcement does not itself start a recount; eligibility and any formal demand depend on the post-canvass totals.
Sources
- North Carolina State Board of Elections results dashboard
- WXII report on Bell’s recount announcement
- North Carolina State Board of Elections recount guidance
Photo Credit: Richelle Wilson/WORT News via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0. Contextual file photograph from the 2022 midterm election in Wisconsin; not the NC-10 canvass or recount. Cropped and resized.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.