Statewide revote ordered for Agriculture race

12-29-04

By Mark Binker, Staff Writer   News-Record

RALEIGH The State Board of Elections voted Wednesday morning to hold a statewide special election for the disputed Commissioner of Agriculture race.

The board's three Democrats overruled the two Republicans in ordering the larger revote, but there are questions as to whether the order will stand up to a legal challenge promised by Republicans. The board's rules typically require four votes to order a new election.

The revote comes after Browns' Summit Republican Steve Troxler led Democrat Britt Cobb by 2,342 votes in a race that saw more than 3 million votes cast during the general election on Nov. 3. But Carteret County voting machines lost more than 4,400 ballots cast electronically during early voting. Because those votes could affect the outcome, state election officials needed to find some way to fix the snafu.

The State Board of Elections voted last month to resolve the problem by ordering a special election in Carteret County. But a judge later reversed that decision and ordered the state board to find a different resolution.

Troxler, who has advocated for letting the 4,400 Carteret voters recast their ballots, said he was disappointed with the vote for a statewide recount.

"To me it's a miscarriage of justice," Troxler said. "It's just nuts, it what it is."

A date was not set for the new election, but Troxler's campaign aides have estimated that a statewide vote would cost millions and less than 5 percent of eligible voters would likely take part.