Raleigh News and Observer Editorial, 7/17/2005

In the prolonged arguments in courthouses and now the Legislative Building over the outcome of the race for state superintendent of public instruction, Republican Bill Fletcher has won agreement from the state Supreme Court that some 11,000-plus ballots in a race Democrat June Atkinson won by 8,535 votes should be tossed out. They were provisional ballots, cast by voters who were voting out of their home precincts. Debate continues over how the election law pertaining to that subject might be interpreted, but not all of the voided ballots were from Atkinson supporters. The tossing of those ballots, in other words, doubtless would not have changed the outcome of the race.

Now the matter rests with the legislature (which claims jurisdiction over the race in a dispute like this), where Democratic Rep. Joe Hackney of Orange County got to the bottom line in a committee meeting with Fletcher, Atkinson and their lawyers. As noted in the Insider, a news service affiliated with The N&O that covers state government, Hackney asked Fletcher's lawyers, "Is there any evidence you can point to that shows Mr. Fletcher received more votes than Ms. Atkinson?" The lawyers said no.

Fletcher indicates he'll keeping fighting. He shouldn't. He has prevented a new superintendent from taking office for months now. Fletcher lost. He needs to accept that fact, at long last.