According to a press release Monday afternoon from NC Senate Leader Phil Berger’s recount team, voters in North Carolina’s Senate District 26, where he trails opponent Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page by 23 votes, have contacted them with concerns that they may have received incorrect ballots during the recent primary election. In addition, the press release accuses Page’s campaign of sending messages that critics say could discourage voters from raising questions.
Jonathan Felts, spokesman for the Berger recount effort, said several voters have reported they were given ballots that did not include the Senate District 26 race.
“A voter in SD-26 reached out and said he was given a ballot that did not include the SD-26 primary and that he knew of one other voter who had told him about the same experience,” Felts said. “We then contacted other individuals who voted in the same community and have identified others who believe they were given the wrong ballot.”
Felts said some of those voters have since signed sworn declarations stating they believe they were issued incorrect ballots. The Berger committee has asked the Guilford County Board of Elections to investigate whether those voters received the wrong ballot style.
The recount team is also raising concerns about text messages sent to voters by individuals affiliated with Page’s campaign. According to the Berger campaign, the messages warn that falsely claiming to have received the wrong ballot could constitute a felony.
Felts characterized the texts as an attempt to discourage voters from speaking out.
“Now, voters in SD-26 are receiving texts from the Page committee with veiled threats that a voter questioning if they received the correct ballot is tantamount to a felony offense,” Felts said. “If anyone feels they received the wrong ballot, they should contact the recount team.”
Josh Howard, the former chairman of the NC Board of Elections, also commented in Berger’s release.
“When I was a federal prosecutor, I sent people to prison for buying votes and interfering with free and fair elections,” Howard said. “But even the most well-meaning election official or staff member can make a mistake, such as giving the wrong ballot to a voter.”
Howard said the state’s election review procedures are designed to allow voters to raise concerns before results are finalized.
“We want voters free to express their concerns and raise potential failures, whether those issues change an immediate outcome or identify systemic problems we shouldn’t make again,” Howard said. “No candidate, campaign, or political entity should ever tamp down any effort to ensure fair elections.”
The Guilford County Board of Elections has not announced whether it will open an investigation into the ballot complaints.
Page’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.