Democrats attempt to change vote counts
The contest for county commissioner between Republican Trudy Wade and Democrat John Parks hinges on provisional ballots cast in wrong precincts. Recently, North Carolina courts ruled these votes illegal. Parks bemoans the plight of "innocent voters who just followed instructions of voting officials." Nonsense.
When legal voters appeared at wrong precincts, they were informed they were not registered there. A special precinct official then directed them to their correct precinct. Most voters went to the correct precinct.
Because the Help America Vote Act dictated that precinct officials give a provisional ballot to anyone who asked, some voters, finding themselves in the wrong precinct, elected to vote a provisional ballot. They either were or should have been told that provisional ballots are subject to review to determine their legality. The courts ruled these out-of-precinct votes illegal, as voters were told could happen.
The Democrat-controlled General Assembly passed new legislation to allow these illegal votes. This must be challenged. The same rules must be followed when a vote is counted as when the vote is cast. After a vote is cast, a retroactive rule change looks like an attempt to tilt a close election.
Betty Everhart
Greensboro