Dr. Dan Eichenbaum

The Asheville Tea PAC said in a statement released to the Daily Planet late May 6 that “there are a significant number of claims of occurrences of irregularities at the polls” on May 4, prompting the group to seek a voluntary runoff between the top two vote-getters..
Specifically, a number of voters who are registered as “unaffiliated” voters were denied or nearly denied their right to vote in either party’s primary, the ATPAC noted.

To that end, Erika Franzi, ATPAC chairwoman, said, “The right to vote is one of the cornerstones of our free republic. Abridgment of the right to vote, or disenfranchisement, whether intentional or unintentional, is a very serious violation of an American voter’s  Constitutional rights.

“Whatever the results of an election, we must have confidence that our system is free of built-in errors that compromise its integrity. A flawed system of election produces poor results and will diminish voter turnout even further.”

Meanwhile, the ATPAC statement asserted, “Given the dark shadow of doubt that is now cast over this primary by the many reports of irregularities at the polls, today (May 6) on the ‘Take A Stand’ radio show (WWNC 570 AM), author and Montreat College professor Dr. William Forstchen called for the Miller and Eichenbaum campaigns to agree to a runoff between the two candidates.

“Asheville Tea PAC joins Dr. Forstchen in this call. A runoff election would repair the damage that has been done to the electoral process and renew the voters’ confidence in the process, solidifying support behind the winning candidate.”

In its statement, ATPAC also noted, “Only 53 votes pushed Miller beyond the 40 percent threshold at the time of the final vote count on election night.

“There is no clear winner and both candidates should agree to a run-off election. A contest with two candidates instead of six should prove very revealing.

“What objection could either of the top two candidates in a close race have to an opportunity to clarify an important contest in a way that is provided for by state law and commonly exercised on behalf of the voting public?

“It is important that the official vote count accurately reflects the will of the people even if it requires a run-off election to decide the winner. Voter fraud and polling station incompetence are also important issues to resolve.

“If a recount, legal challenges, and a run-off election stand to change the results, then this is reason enough to pursue this course -- that is, to accurately reflect reality. “Let’s find out who Western North Carolina voters really want to be their representative in Congress.

The ATPAC statement concluded by asking, “Mr. Miller and Dr. Eichenbaum: will you agree to a run-off?”