NORTH CAROLINA: Right Wing Group Files Lawsuit To Delay Counting Of Ballots As Roy Cooper Holds Lead

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: 

The Civitas Institute, a conservative organization in Raleigh, has filed a federal lawsuit to delay a final count of ballots in the November election. The suit is over same-day registrants, the more than 90,000 people who registered to vote and voted on the same day during the early voting period prior the Nov. 8 general election.

Civitas says in its lawsuit that there’s not enough time between their registration and the State Board of Elections counting their ballots for the local county boards of election to verify applicants’ addresses. County boards mail new applicants notices to verify their addresses. The process takes up to 30 days if the boards act promptly, the lawsuit says.

The Civitas lawsuit comes as Gov. Pat McCrory’s campaign alleges voter fraud as he trails Democrat Roy Cooper in the vote count. The State Board of Elections is meeting Tuesday to decide what guidance to give local boards of election as they count ballots McCrory is contesting. Democrats are pressing McCrory to concede.

The New York Times and Slate have both floated the possibility that McCrory’s cronies will attempt to have the GOP-dominated state legislature declare him the winner. Yesterday the News & Observer noted that while both outlets are correct in saying that by North Carolina law such a move is “not reviewable” by state courts, it’s very likely that federal courts would “take a hard look” at the decision.