Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661114014" target="_blank">http://www.news-record.com/app s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661114014</a> >>The outcome of the close legislative race between House Speaker Jim Black and Republican Hal Jordan became more uncertain Tuesday after Mecklenburg County election officials said that nearly 450 ballots were cast by people outside of their district. Meeting in an emergency session, election board officials said voters in a split precinct received ballots with the Black-Jordan race when they should have received ballots for another House district, Mecklenburg deputy elections director Jo Winkler said. Black, a Democrat, led by seven votes over Jordan, according to Tuesday's unofficial results. The results also didn't include more than 130 provisional ballots that may be counted starting Thursday, Winkler said. Mecklenburg election officials said Jordan received 380 votes in the precinct, while Black received 142, so removing these votes would benefit Black. A little more than 100 voters in the precinct received correct ballots, county officials said. The board has asked the State Board of Elections for help in deciding how to handle the miscast ballots, which were discovered Monday. State elections director Gary Bartlett said a decision will be made at the panel's Nov. 28 meeting. The state board could order a new election, certify the results or return the election back to the Mecklenburg board for more work.<<
