Just when it looked like the 2018 House outcome couldn't get any worse for Republicans than a 40-seat loss, a deepening absentee ballot fraud scam has cast into doubt an open North Carolina seat previously called for the GOP. The scandal is now a full-blown national news story and it's possible the state board of elections, which has refused to certify the race, could order a new election altogether. Democrat Dan McCready conceded to Republican Mark Harris shortly after the election, and still trails by 905 votes in unofficial returns. When the scandal initially came to light, it appeared the absentee ballots in question in relatively small Bladen County were far fewer than Harris's margin over McCready. But there's mounting evidence the irregularities could be more extensive. At this point, it's clear from irregular absentee vote totals and sworn voter affidavits that McCrae Dowless, a political operative contracted by a firm helping run Harris's campaign, led a team to "harvest" voters' absentee ballots door-to-door. Regardless of whether or not Dowless filled out voters' ballots for Harris or discarded ballots marked
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