Watauga Recount Wednesday

A machine recount of Watauga ballots will take place tomorrow (Wednesday, Thanksgiving eve) in three races only: the sheriff's race between incumbent Mark Shook and Democratic challenger Len Hagaman, the N.C. Senate race between David Blust and Steve Goss, and the N.C. Court of Appeals race between Donna Stroud and Linda Stephens. Four counties are involved in the Blust/Goss recount, the entire state in the Stroud/Stephens recount.

Hagaman, Goss, and Stroud have all won with narrow margins. No one familiar with recounts expects any of these results to be overturned. But everyone also knows we have to go through these extra steps because they are mandated by law. If we were Shook, Blust, or Stephens, we'd request a recount too. You never know: maybe a major glitch will reveal itself. But we doubt it. Everyone doubts it, including the losers asking for the recounts.

If the machine recount deviates even a single digit from numbers reported to the State Board of Elections following Nov. 7th, then a hand recount is mandated. This could drag on a while ... but it likely isn't going to change anything.