Friday's deadline for counting all votes in this month’s election in North Carolina is being extended. The state Board of Elections says county boards need more time to complete their vote counts. The state board cites several factors including ongoing reviews of absentee and provisional votes, along with election protests filed in some counties.
There's also another snag. Less than two weeks before the election, a federal court ordered county election boards to accept provisional ballots from voters whose registration forms may not have been properly processed by DMV offices. State elections board general counsel Josh Lawson says officials are still working to make sure such ballots are counted.
Lawson said staffers at the elections board and DMV have been working "all hours" to ensure that the state complies with the federal court order. "But that data processing is still ongoing," Lawson added.
The unfinished vote counts leave a big question mark still hanging over North Carolina's race for governor. Democrat Roy Cooper held a slim lead of about 4,600 votes over Republican incumbent Pat McCrory as of Thursday evening, according to figures posted on the State Board of Elections website.
The state board says it now plans to conduct a canvass of statewide votes on November 29. If the final tally shows a difference of 10,000 votes or less -- either candidate can demand a recount.