The chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus has suggested a controversial plan regarding North Carolina's electoral votes. The proposal involves potentially allocating the state's electoral votes to Donald Trump before votes are counted, citing possible disenfranchisement of voters in the western part of the state. However, state election officials have deemed this plan illegal, and it has faced criticism from Republicans.
During a presentation by a pro-Trump activist, the idea was put forward that North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature could award the state's electoral votes to Trump. This suggestion was based partly on the complications arising from Hurricane Helene, which affected many western counties, displaced some ballots, and disrupted postal services.
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland expressed some support for the proposal, stating that it made sense in the context of potential voter disenfranchisement in North Carolina. However, he also acknowledged the challenges of justifying such actions in other states, cautioning against the perception of it being a mere power play.
In response to the activist's presentation, Harris clarified that his remarks were taken out of context and emphasized the importance of counting every legal vote. Despite this, he did not explicitly reject the idea of awarding electoral votes to Trump.
The executive director of North Carolina's election board, Karen Brinson Bell, firmly rejected the proposal, labeling it a violation of the law. She emphasized that the plan put forward by far-right activists to award electors for Trump irrespective of vote counts was not a viable option.
