Republican state Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) was handed a setback in his election recount efforts Wednesday when the North Carolina State Board of Elections declined to take up his request for an expedited hand-eye recount of 220 ballots.<\/strong><\/p>\n The decision comes as Berger seeks to overcome a 23-vote deficit to primary opponent Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. The request for the hand-eye examination \u2014 meaning visual review by human counters without the use of a machine \u2014 came as part of Berger\u2019s request for a recount of the race<\/a> on Tuesday, which remains ongoing.<\/strong><\/p>\n Of the ballots Berger singled out, 217 are undervotes, in which voters appear to have not voted on a ballot item despite casting a ballot, either because they left the section blank or left an unclear marking. The other three are overvotes, ballots in which multiple candidates appear to have been selected, invalidating the vote<\/strong><\/p>\n There is no remedy for the former if they truly are undervotes, said State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes, because the board \u201ccan\u2019t account for something that is not there.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Under state law, \u201cif it is impossible to clearly determine a voter\u2019s choice in a ballot item, the official ballot shall not be counted for that ballot item.\u201d For ballot items where selections cannot be read by a machine, votes can only be counted if \u201chuman counters can clearly determine the voter\u2019s choice.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The article concludes:<\/p>\n Spending $12 million of other people\u2019s money to eviscerate your opponent \u2014 and you STILL manage to lose by 23 votes. Losing your home county by 2-to-1.<\/em> \u00a0(*Oh, the agony \u2026*)<\/strong><\/p>\n I wonder if the party establishment will moan as loudly this time about all the damage the court fight is doing to the party?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This is something to watch carefully. Phil Berger is not going to give up his power easily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the most contested races in the North Carolina primary election this month was the Republican primary race between state Senate Leader Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. As of now, Sam Page has won the race … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dailyhaymaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-9.11.21-PM.png?resize=300%2C97&ssl=1\")
<\/a>The Mustache\u2122 is hinting that they\u2019re planning to lawyer up and pull a Jefferson Griffin. \u00a0And why not? \u00a0It worked *so well* for the plan\u2019s namesake.<\/strong><\/p>\n