Jeff Jackson wanted his opponent investigated. Elections officials dismissed the claim

The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections dismissed a complaint alleging Pat Harrigan, the Republican nominee for the 14th Congressional District, was improperly registered to vote in Charlotte.

The complaint was filed by a voter, but the idea was first raised by Jeff Jackson, a Democratic state senator and Harrigan’s competitor for the 14th.

Kristin Mavromatis, the Board of Elections spokesperson, said the five-member board voted 3-1 Friday to dismiss the complaint because they did not find enough evidence to proceed. Elections board member John Gresham recused himself from the vote.

Not enough evidence

Jackson sent a letter to the Mecklenburg Board of Elections earlier this month claiming Harrigan was improperly registered to vote in Charlotte. Though Harrigan rents an apartment in south Charlotte and is registered to vote from that address, Jackson claimed Harrigan should have been registered at his home in Hickory.

In his letter, Jackson cited case law, quoted media and presented public records detailing Harrigan’s alleged living arrangements and his voter history. But Jackson’s letter did not carry any legal weight because it wasn’t filed as a formal voter objection.

Jordan Shaw, Harrigan’s advisor, sent a statement to the Observer earlier this month calling Jackson’s letter “a bogus distraction from a radical leftist lawyer who is closer in the polls than he wants to be, and is desperately trying to change the subject from his disastrous inflation-causing policies.”

The person who filed the formal objection was not affiliated with the Jackson campaign, but their objection mirrored Jackson’s letter, the Board of Elections said.

The 14th includes uptown Charlotte, southern and western Mecklenburg County and much of Gaston County. Previous election results show the district leans Democratic.

Election day is Nov. 8 and early voting runs through Nov 5. People who are not registered to vote can register on the same day they vote early. Same-day voter registration not available on Election Day.

This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 11:33 AM.

Will Wright

The Charlotte Observer

Will Wright covers politics in Charlotte and North Carolina. He previously covered eastern Kentucky for the Lexington Herald-Leader, and worked as a reporting fellow at The New York Times.