RALEIGH -- The North Carolina State Board of Elections says it won't take up an appeal for a recount of more than 90,000 votes in Durham County until the local board gives them certain documents.
A Republican attorney believes the recount of those votes could change the outcome of the election and the still undecided governor's race.
Right now, Attorney General Roy Cooper leads Governor Pat McCrory by nearly 7,700 votes. However, GOP attorney Thomas Stark claims there are issues with thousands of ballots out of Durham County. In an appeal, he cites machines failing to correctly count ballots, ineligible coters casting ballots and voters being removed from the rolls after the 2012 election as reasons for a recount.
Durham County's Board of Elections has already rejected a protest over those ballots, so Stark filed an appeal with the State Board of Elections.
During an emergency meeting by phone Sunday, members of the state board said their hands are tied until they receive a full record of the hearing the county board held. They hope to get the transcript of that hearing and any evidence or briefings submitted during the case within the next 48 hours.
"I would request the staff to push Durham any way you can, all of the people in this room together and with anyone else we can, to push Durham," said Grant Whitney, chairman of the NC State Board of Elections. "We need to get some certainty in our political processes here and it sounds like we're stuck with the timing."
Board members said they want some time to review those materials before scheduling a hearing about the appeal. It may happen late this week.