2 Bladen County races caught up in ballot probe

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A North Carolina Board of Elections decision to look into concerns about ballot irregularities in a US House race has also put a pair of local elections on hold.

The state board today voted 7-2 to hold a hearing no later than Dec. 21 on alleged issues with absentee ballots in Bladen County that could affect the race for the 9th Congressional District, which stretches from Bladen County west to the Charlotte suburbs.

The board’s motion to hold the hearing also directed for the Bladen County Board of Elections to hold off on providing certificates of election to the winners in the races for Bladen County Commission District 3 and Bladen County Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor. The board did not elaborate on why those contests were affected.