RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina’s election board chief is concerned about complications if the board’s absentee ballot investigation in a congressional district race is not resolved within the next couple of weeks.
The problems, according to Chairman Josh Malcolm, are conflicting directives from a three-judge panel and from the state legislature.
The judges agreed this week to delay enforcement of their ruling eliminating the current nine-member board as unconstitutional until Dec. 28. But a bill approved Wednesday and sent to Gov. Roy Cooper would keep that board in place until Jan. 31.
The board planned a hearing by Dec. 21 on the 9th Congressional District probe, but Malcolm suggested its work might not finish by Dec. 28.
Malcolm told the judges in a letter late Wednesday that extending the ruling delay further until the 9th District probe is settled would be in the public’s interest.
