Some Mecklenburg County politicians say they aren?t sure that the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down out-of-precinct provisional ballots applies to contests that were not represented in the legal challenge by specific plaintiffs, such as an at-large race where a Republican loss might be reversed by tossing the ballots in question.

But others, including the McDowell County commission, understands that the Court?s ruling has statewide force.

I don think the proper remedy for the problem is tossing the ballots, as I?ve written recently, but clearly the Supreme Court?s ruling applies statewide.