RALEIGH – Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx says congressional election observers will monitor the continuing count in North Carolina’s 5th District, where unofficial results reported Sunday showed Democrat Chuck Hubbard leading by 99 votes.
Foxx said in a Nov. 6 Facebook statement that she requested observers working under the House Administration Committee to be present across the district as counties continue processing ballots. She said the observers were dispatched under the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act to watch voting, ballot processing and ballot tabulation and to gather information.
The federal law gives designated House and Senate staff access to observe the administration of federal elections. It prohibits observers from handling ballots or election equipment, campaigning for a candidate or interfering with election administration. The observers do not decide whether ballots count and do not certify the result.
The race remains unofficial. Foxx’s statement said the counting process was continuing under North Carolina law. State election officials say county boards must review provisional ballots and eligible absentee ballots before canvassing results.
County canvasses are scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 13. The State Board of Elections plans to canvass statewide results at 11 a.m. Nov. 24. Military and overseas ballots mailed by Election Day can be accepted through Nov. 12.
The 99-vote margin falls within North Carolina’s threshold for a candidate to request a recount after canvass. Foxx’s observer request is not itself a recount request, and the presence of observers does not change the state’s canvass or certification process.
Foxx’s statement did not identify a specific violation by state or county election officials. She said the continuing process, state law and election administration would determine the race. Hubbard has not been declared the winner, and Foxx has not been declared defeated while the canvass remains pending.
Foxx has represented the 5th District since 2005. Hubbard also challenged her in 2024. The still-unresolved contest will determine who represents the northwestern district in the next Congress.
Sources
- Rep. Virginia Foxx: Nov. 6 statement requesting congressional election observers
- The Hill via AOL: observer request, reported margin and federal-law limits
- North Carolina State Board of Elections: canvass, recount and certification process
Photo Credit: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Official portrait of Rep. Virginia Foxx, a public-domain U.S. federal government work. Cropped and resized. NCPN logo is a separate brand mark.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and must be reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.