Newby Gains Votes on First Day of Hand To Eye Recount | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC     Chief Justice Elect Paul Newby gained three votes after 18 counties, including large Democrat majority counties Buncombe, Cumberland and Forsyth, completed their sample hand to eye recount. 29 counties will be starting hand to eye recounts today. The recount process continues to confirm that the votes have been accurately counted and Paul Newby will be the next chief justice of North Carolina. Newby now leads Beasley by 404 votes.

    "We are pleased — but not surprised — that the recount process continues to confirm that Paul Newby will be the next chief justice of North Carolina," said NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley. "We are confident that Justice Newby won this election and appreciate the hard work of the county election board members, staff and our volunteer observers throughout the state to confirm his victory yet again."

    Meanwhile, Beasley's protests continue to be dismissed by Democrat controlled county boards across the state. Yesterday, Democrat county boards dismissed Beasley's complaints in Nash, Stokes, New Hanover, and Pitt Counties, which brings Beasley's total dismissals up to 83. Less than 200 total available votes remain in Beasley's protests of county election boards, meaning it is mathematically impossible for Beasley's effort to revive and double count Democrat votes to overtake Newby's current margin of victory.

    The Beasley campaign has quietly been withdrawing the factual basis of their 92 county protests, the Oliver Ho affidavit. The Beasley legal team finally seems to be acknowledging what the press, dozens of county boards and outside reviewers did almost immediately, the Ho affidavit was flawed on its face. To date, county election boards have only agreed to send a total of 14 ballots up to the state board for review out of the 3780 names on the original protest.

    "Beasley's protests are a vain attempt to have Democrat election officials add previously disqualified Democrat ballots and in some cases double count Democrat ballots. It's hard to imagine a more corrupt scheme to overturn an election," said NCGOP Press Secretary Tim Wigginton. "When yet another recount confirms that Paul Newby secured the votes to be next chief justice, Beasley should withdraw her bad faith protests and concede the election."

• Contact: Tim Wigginton
•     communications@ncgop.org