On Friday, December 16, Gov. Pat McCrory signed Senate Bill 4 into law. Senate Bill 4 merges the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission and creates a new eight-member board split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

The bill was introduced by Republicans in an attempt to limit the power of the executive branch before newly elected Democrats take power. Governor-elect Roy Cooper has stated that he plans to challenge the law in court as unconstitutional.

Yesterday, Gov. Pat McCrory formally requested a recount in his race for governor against Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Cooper has already declared victory, but with the race within 10,000 votes, McCrory is not conceding and there is no answer to when the race will officially end. This week, the head of the conservative group Civitas Institute filed a federal lawsuit to block the counting of votes cast using same-day registration on Election Day. McCrory has also filed challenges in many counties alleging voter fraud, claiming ballots were cast by dead people and felons.

The gubernatorial race is still too close to call more than a week after election day. Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper declared victory over Republican incumbent Pat McCrory, but McCrory is not conceding until all provisional ballots are counted.

Cooper is ahead by about 5,000 votes, but more than 58,000 provisional and absentee ballots remain to be counted. If the race is within 10,000 votes after all ballots are counted, candidates can request a recount which would not take place until after Thanksgiving.