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Dec. 28, 2018 / 6:55 PM GMT / Updated 7:00 PM GMT
By Associated Press
North Carolina’s outgoing election board on Friday turned down a last-minute request to certify a Republican’s victory in a still-undecided U.S. House race.
The state Board of Elections was disbanded under orders from a state court that found its makeup unconstitutional.
Just before the deadline for its dissolution, its chairman responded to a certification request from the campaign of Republican Mark Harris. The outgoing chairman Joshua Malcom wrote that the board was unable to convene the type of meeting Friday required under state law to proceed with certification.
Harris holds a slim lead over Democrat Dan McCready in unofficial results. But the state board has refused to certify Harris as winner while it investigates allegations of absentee ballot fraud.
The state investigation could be delayed because a new law governing the composition of state elections board doesn’t take effect until the end of January.