Three specially selected Superior Court judges heard the case against the (NCSBE) North Carolina State Board of Elections over their refusal to certify the 9th District Congressional seat, leaving the people of the Ninth District without a representative in Congress when they open.
The NCSBE was found to be unconstitutional before all of this happened and their time in office expired on Friday. No meeting is set until Jan 11th to decide on the next step and to review irregularities said to exist.
Every county in North Carolina certified the election results with Republican Mark Harris the winner.
The effect of the court’s ruling and subsequent events on Friday leaves the outcome of the 9th Congressional District race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready the same as it was before the court threw this huge political curveball: a winner has not been certified in the race, an investigation into alleged election irregularities is ongoing, and the U.S. House of Representatives will not be seating a representative from the district when the 116th Session of Congress convenes in Washington on January 3.
The court pulled no punches in its assessment of the NCSBE’s conduct, as WBTV reported:
In issuing its ruling, the panel made reference to the fact that the NCSBE scheduled its hearing into the 9th Congressional District on January 11, 2019, instead of by its original self-imposed deadline of December 21, 2018.
“The parties have not given even a cursory explanation as to why the hearing was continued from December 28, 2018 until January 11, 2019, let alone one demonstrating compelling reasons and substantial and reasonable justification, for not only the additional time needed, but the total disregard of the previous Order of the Court in extending the stay,” the order reads.