# More NC Elections Shenanigans **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 17, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256 "2018-06-17T13:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/81 "2018-12-03T01:41:09Z")
My state requires that I designate ahead of time if someone else is going to turn in my ballot. It also limits 2 ballots per bearer, however. Probably to prevent stuff like this. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/82 "2018-12-03T01:46:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > My state requires that I designate ahead of time if someone else is going to turn in my ballot. > > It also limits 2 ballots per bearer, however. Probably to prevent stuff like this. Not if they’re just going to throw them away. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/83 "2018-12-03T02:20:43Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It appears (and please correct me if I’m missing something) that operatives went to poor black neighborhoods and convinced people to sign up for absentee ballots, then told people to turn them in incomplete, looked at the ballots, and either filled them out for the Republican candidate if they were incomplete, or simply threw them away if they included a vote for the Democratic candidate. I don’t think this is quite right, although there may be cases of the activity that you describe. According to the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/certification-in-limbo-in-nc-house-race-as-fraud-investigation-continues/2018/11/29/109209f6-f406-11e8-80d0-f7e1948d55f4_story.html?utm_term=.01dcfa492e2a): > [@](#): > > The board is collecting sworn statements from voters in rural Bladen and Robeson counties, near the South Carolina border, who described people coming to their doors and urging them to hand over their absentee ballots, sometimes without filling them out. Others described receiving absentee ballots by mail that they had not requested. It is illegal to take someone else’s ballot and turn it in. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/84 "2018-12-03T02:54:33Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Not if they’re just going to throw them away. Well, yeah, but it says it on the form to go get the absentee ballot, where you have to name your “bearer.” If the same person’s name is on more than two forms, then they know there’s something up. And you know that anyone saying they’re taking a bunch of ballots is lying. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/85 "2018-12-03T02:58:12Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I don’t think this is quite right, although there may be cases of the activity that you describe. According to the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/certification-in-limbo-in-nc-house-race-as-fraud-investigation-continues/2018/11/29/109209f6-f406-11e8-80d0-f7e1948d55f4_story.html?utm_term=.01dcfa492e2a): Part of the story is that there were a lot more absentee ballots requested in this county than were actually turned in–thus my suspicion that ballots were being thrown away if they were for the Democratic candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/86 "2018-12-03T03:06:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Part of the story is that there were a lot more absentee ballots requested in this county than were actually turned in–thus my suspicion that ballots were being thrown away if they were for the Democratic candidate. Yeah, that’s a good point. Looks like there were plenty of shenanigans regarding the absentee ballots. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/87 "2018-12-03T23:18:03Z")
Nate Silver tweeted he thinks a new election in NC 9 is pretty likely. When was the last time a congressional election was redone due to fraud? ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/88 "2018-12-04T01:21:01Z")
This just came across my Twitter feed: > [@](#): > > EXCLUSIVE: Absentee ballot witness says she was hired by McCrae Dowless to collect ballots & deliver them to him. When asked if she was told to tell people about certain candidates she said, > > “(Sheriff) McVicker & Harris. That’s who he was working for” [From here.](https://twitter.com/JoeBrunoWSOC9/status/1069719818574675969) [Also, in one county, a very few](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/channel-9-uncovers-similarities-between-absentee-ballots-in-us-house-district-9-race/882660808) people were picking up the absentee ballots, in the employ of Dowless. Pick them up, and deliver the ballots to Dowless. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/89 "2018-12-04T01:52:18Z")
For what it’s worth, Republicans tried to steal an election, and it’s barely in the news. Tell me again about the MSM liberal bias. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/90 "2018-12-04T02:09:14Z")
[There is a story about it in the Washington Post.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/north-carolina-election-fraud-investigation-centers-on-operative-with-criminal-history-who-worked-for-gop-congressional-candidate/2018/12/03/7b270a90-f6aa-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html?utm_term=.052fe48c434a) It’s funny how Republicans are screaming about voter fraud, and pushing for laws…that have no effect on the type of fraud they’ve apparently been committing. The laws they’re pushing for would only have an effect on fraud that is vanishingly rare, but disproportionately affect the lower economic tier of people. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/91 "2018-12-04T03:24:02Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > [There is a story about it in the Washington Post.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/north-carolina-election-fraud-investigation-centers-on-operative-with-criminal-history-who-worked-for-gop-congressional-candidate/2018/12/03/7b270a90-f6aa-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html?utm_term=.052fe48c434a) > > It’s funny how Republicans are screaming about voter fraud, and pushing for laws…that have no effect on the type of fraud they’ve apparently been committing. The laws they’re pushing for would only have an effect on fraud that is vanishingly rare, but disproportionately affect the lower economic tier of people. They scream about voter fraud while committing electoral fraud, and try like Hell to convince you there’s no difference. Honest people don’t dissemble and conflate like that. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/92 "2018-12-04T04:05:24Z")
Another story about the person who stated she was paid to collect ballots: [The Hill](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/woman-says-she-was-paid-to-collect-absentee-ballots-in-north-carolina-house-race/ar-BBQshXx?li=BBnb7Kz) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/93 "2018-12-04T13:54:28Z")
Here’s CNN Politics’s story on it: [Unusual pattern of signatures emerges as North Carolina probes allegations in House race | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/03/politics/north-carolina-absentee-ballot-investigation-house-race/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/94 "2018-12-04T15:19:05Z")
I wonder if Republicans have ever considered that they might win more net voters by championing the expansion of voting rights than they do by actually suppressing opposition votes? Maybe win more support and do the right thing at the same time. Or is this a case similar to that of John Dean’s recount of Watergate – “no one ever actually suggested that there \*not \*be a coverup?” Do you ever discuss doing this at party policy meetings? Apologies if I’m repeating myself. This is a big forum, my search skills are poor and my memory worse. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/95 "2018-12-04T16:14:45Z")
Not to hijack the thread, but **Red Wiggler** , if the GOP were smart, they’d have learned from what happened to them in California after championing Prop. 187 and stop being anti-immigrant. Hispanics in America are natural conservative voters: strong on family, great at small business, and generally conservative socially. But it’s far more important to pander to the xenophobes than to grow the party’s base. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/96 "2018-12-04T17:38:10Z")
> [@The Hill](#): > > Ginger Eason told WSOCTV, a local news station in Charlotte, that Leslie McCrae Dowless, Jr. paid her between \*\*$75 and $100 \*\*to pick up completed absentee ballots for North Carolina’s 9th District, the results of which are being officially investigated. I guess Dowless didn’t think he needed to pay her enough to buy her silence. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/97 "2018-12-04T18:09:15Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Not to hijack the thread, but **Red Wiggler** , if the GOP were smart, they’d have learned from what happened to them in California after championing Prop. 187 and stop being anti-immigrant. Hispanics in America are natural conservative voters: strong on family, great at small business, and generally conservative socially. But it’s far more important to pander to the xenophobes than to grow the party’s base. They can also tell themselves - accurately, I’m sorry to say - that Latinos still don’t vote as much as you might think they would, given the relentlessly anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies of the Trump GOP. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/98 "2018-12-04T22:48:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > They can also tell themselves - accurately, I’m sorry to say - that Latinos still don’t vote as much as you might think they would, given the relentlessly anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies of the Trump GOP. Maybe, but the fallout from the Prop 187 stupidity has resulted in the Republican Party being almost non-existent any more in California. A VERY large chunk of that is Hispanic voting. Back to the regularly scheduled North Carolina shenanigans thread. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/99 "2018-12-04T22:51:37Z")
So today’s _Charlotte Observer_ has a story about this guy who allegedly paid the woman mentioned in the above threads. Turns out he is a convicted felon, whose crime was insurance fraud. He ALSO was previously convicted of felonious perjury. JUST the sort of guy you want to hire to run a third-party operation on the grassroots efforts of your campaign, right? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256/100 "2018-12-05T01:41:35Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > So today’s _Charlotte Observer_ has a story about this guy who allegedly paid the woman mentioned in the above threads. Turns out he is a convicted felon, whose crime was insurance fraud. He ALSO was previously convicted of felonious perjury. JUST the sort of guy you want to hire to run a third-party operation on the grassroots efforts of your campaign, right? :dubious: Absolutely, then if he gets caught you can claim he acted on his own and anything he says to the contrary is the word of a lying perjurer. He’s only naming other people to get a deal, we never knew that guy! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-nc-elections-shenanigans/816256.md?page=6)