AP retracts call in North Carolina congressional race amid fraud investigation

The Associated Press on Friday retracted its call for a Republican in a House race in North Carolina after the state board of elections delayed certifying the results due to concerns of voter fraud. 

Democrat Dan McCready conceded the election to Republican Mark Harris earlier this month and said he would not request a recount.

Unofficial results show Harris with a 905-vote lead out of nearly 283,000 votes counted.{mosads}

The North Carolina board of elections cited “claims of irregularities and fraudulent activities related to absentee by-mail voting” when it said it would delay certifying the results. The body voted 7-2 on Friday to hold a hearing into the concerns.

The North Carolina Democratic Party released a statement praising the vote, applauding “the board’s bipartisan decision to delay certification and fully investigate the concerning allegations.”

Officials were particularly alarmed over uncommonly high numbers of absentee ballots submitted in Bladen County, according to The Washington Post.