Beasley’s protest in state Supreme Court race gets its start here Wednesday

ELIZABETHTOWN — Add Bladen County to the more than 90 where Cheri Beasley is filing a protest.

The Bladen County Board of Elections on Wednesday morning at 9 will hold a telephonic meeting for preliminary consideration of Beasley’s request. She’s the chief justice of the state Supreme Court and trailed fellow Supreme Court Judge Paul Newby in the election to retain her seat.

The board of three Democrats and two Republicans will “consider the complaint as filed at the preliminary consideration and will not take any evidence,” a release from staff director Chris Williams says. It will “determine whether the protest substantially complies with the form requirement and whether it establishes probable cause of an outcome-determinative violation.”

Anyone wishing to listen can call 669-224-3412, and use access code 155-192-917.

Beasley’s claims have been investigated by the newspaper in Raleigh, The News & Observer, and found to be disproportionately aimed at getting votes from registered Democrats and not Republicans or unaffiliated voters.

Newby carried the county over Beasley 8,889 to 7,723 — a 53.5 percent share. The vote total has already been recounted, as was requested in all 100 counties, and canvassed at the county level.

The state canvass is Tuesday morning.