Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue submits the following news release:

Senate Democratic Leader: Legislative decision on governor’s race would undermine democratic process

RALEIGH — As local board of elections continue reviewing ballots in an effort to finalize North Carolina’s gubernatorial race, there have been accusations of voter irregularities from Governor Pat McCrory’s campaign and the NC GOP.

However, there has been speculation in the media that, in the matter of a contested race, the decision could go to the legislature.

Defending his faith in democratic process and in state and local elections officials, Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue said Tuesday, “Roy Cooper is the clear winner of this election. It would be unprecedented and undemocratic for the state legislature to overturn the will of the people. Make no mistake, this election has been decided by the voters and we will not allow Governor McCrory or the GOP-controlled legislature to overthrow those results or undermine democracy.”

Unprecedented? Undemocratic? Perhaps we ought to forgive Sen. Blue for ignoring a piece of legislative history that took place during his brief (2002-06) break from legislative service.

In 2005, the General Assembly used a democratic process to enact Senate Bill 82 (Session Law 2005-3), “An Act to Provide Procedures for Resolving Election Contests for Members of the General Assembly and Council of State.” Democrat Dan Clodfelter, later mayor of Charlotte, sponsored the bill in the Senate. Democrats Deborah Ross (who just lost her bid to unseat Republican Richard Burr in North Carolina’s 2016 U.S. Senate race) and Beverly Earle sponsored identical legislation in the House.

John Hood discussed the idea when it was still in draft form.

The state Senate voted 28-20 to approve the law. The House voted, 54-46. Every “yes” vote came from a Democrat. Every “no” vote came from a Republican.

No one knows whether the General Assembly will step in to resolve a “contested” gubernatorial election this time around. But if lawmakers act, they will use a process promulgated more than a decade ago by Democrats. There certainly is a precedent; if it’s undemocratic, one can thank Democrats.

At the time of the 2005 legislation, of course, the idea was to ensure that Democrat June Atkinson would win the open job as superintendent of public instruction.