Butterfield attended a protest hearing before the Halifax County Board of Elections today and made his comments to reporters following the board’s dismissal of a protest lodged by R.J. Myrick, vice chair of the county Republican party, who lives in the Littleton area.
Myrick listed McCrory campaign staffer Jeff Hauser as the witness who found the potential problems, the Raleigh News and Observer reported.
The county board of elections is made up of two Republicans and one Democrat.
In particular, Butterfield criticized Myrick’s protest concerning two witnesses signing multiple absentee ballots.
Board Chair Sandy Partin said in the protest Myrick stated he reviewed absentee ballots in which one individual witnessed 18 and another witnessed six.
“He doesn’t go on to say how this is illegal,” Partin said. “It’s not. The law does not put a limit on how many witnesses (there can be). He offers no proof as to why it should be illegal.”
Said board member Clarence Pender, “This is just statements. There’s not an ounce of proof.”
Myrick was not at the actual hearing. The Raleigh News and Observer reported he showed up later.
In his protest Myrick claimed he had “reason to believe it is possible that the voters of Halifax County have been subjected to a scheme to operate an absentee ballot mill.”
In his protest he likened the alleged events in Halifax County to events in Bladen County.
Partin said, however, “Whatever happened in Bladen County has nothing to do with Halifax County.”
The three-panel board unanimously rejected the protest, Partin saying Myrick does have the right to amend the protest or appeal to the State Board of Elections.
Outside the meeting, Butterfield said, “It’s obvious Pat McCrory has lost the election. Roy Cooper is up by 5,200 votes.”
Butterfield said McCrory should accept defeat instead of “intimidating African-American voters and the election process.”
In a statement released prior to today’s hearing, Butterfield said, "The Republican Party's decision to challenge elections in 12 counties that had active Get-Out-The-Vote efforts by African-American Political Action Committees demonstrates the desperation and continued voter intimidation of Republicans.”
The board also rejected Myrick’s second complaint, alleging a convicted felon voted in Scotland Neck.
Said Partin: “You can’t just say, ‘I think you’re a convicted felon and you don’t have the right to vote,’ you’ve got to have some proof to back that up.”