Behind the scenes of 2024 election recount: 429K ballots and 166 scanners in Mecklenburg
By Mary Ramsey and
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez
Inside a community center auditorium filled with machines, a team of Mecklenburg County elections officials and volunteers are at work this week completing recounts in three 2024 races.
Losing candidates in two Mecklenburg legislative races requested recounts: Democrat Nicole Sidman, who fell to Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham in state House District 105, and Republican Stacie McGinn, who lost to Democrat Woodson Bradley in state Senate District 42.
A crew of more than 55 volunteers and county staff are running about 429,000 ballots through 166 scanners in a room at the Valerie C. Woodard Community Resource Center this week as part of the recount process, said Kristin Mavromatis, spokeswoman for the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. Additional teams are working through Election Day, absentee and provisional ballots at the county elections office.
The board hopes to complete their recount by end of day Friday, Mavromatis said.
Volunteers feed ballots into ballot machines as Mecklenburg officials hold a recount in NC Supreme Court race and two Mecklenburg County legislative races at the Valerie C. Woodard Community Resource Center in Charlotte, NC on Thursday, November 21, 2024. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Volunteers feed ballots into ballot machines as Mecklenburg officials hold a recount in NC Supreme Court race, Tricia Cotham’s win over Nicole Sidman, and Woodson Bradley’s win over Stacie McGinn, at Valerie C. Woodard Community Resource Center in Charlotte, NC on Thursday, November 21, 2024. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
Volunteers feed ballots into ballot machines. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
Volunteers feed ballots into ballot machines. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
Recount team volunteer Stephen Schmitt assists Mecklenburg officials as they hold a recount. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
Volunteers feed ballots into machines as Mecklenburg officials hold a recount. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
Volunteers feed ballots into ballot machines. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
Volunteers assist Mecklenburg officials in holding a recount in the NC Supreme Court race, Tricia Cotham’s win over Nicole Sidman and Woodson Bradley’s win over Stacie McGinn, at Valerie C. Woodard Community Resource Center in Charlotte, NC on Thursday, November 21, 2024. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
166 ballot machines are used as Mecklenburg officials hold a recount in NC Supreme Court race, Tricia Cotham’s win over Nicole Sidman, and Woodson Bradley’s win over Stacie McGinn, at Valerie C. Woodard Community Resource Center in Charlotte, NC on Thursday, November 21, 2024. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ
This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 3:40 PM.
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Mary Ramsey is the local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she studied journalism at the University of South Carolina and has also worked in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky. Support my work with a digital subscription
