ROCKINGHAM — The schedule for the upcoming special election for the 9th Congressional District should be known by next week.
Designating the date(s) is one of the tentative items on the agenda for the North Carolina State Board of Elections’ next meeting on March 4.
The new election was ordered last week as the board was holding a hearing regarding election fraud by Leslie McRae Dowless, who was hired by Republican candidate the Rev. Mark Harris for get-out-the-vote efforts.
Dowless was arrested and charged Wednesday.
Harris, who unofficially had 905 more votes than Democratic challenger Dan McCready, announced Tuesday that he will not be running in the special election.
McCready and Libertarian Jeff Scott have both said their names will be on the ballot.
Just which names will be on the Republican ticket remains to be seen, as no one has yet committed to campaigning. Several, including Clarence Goins Jr. — who was the only candidate in the race not from Charlotte —– have expressed interest.
Former governor Pat McCrory said this week that he will not run.
As the RO reported earlier this week, the new election will cost Richmond County at least $100,000 due to staffing, mailing and other costs.
The state board will meet on the third floor of the Dobbs Building, 430 N. Salisbury Street in Raleigh. Public meeting materials will post on a rolling basis to the online meeting portal.
Members of the public who wish to hear audio of the proceedings may do so by dialing 415-655-0052 using code 378-467-306.
