### Harris Suggests North Carolina Award Electors to Trump Amid Voting Concerns

WASHINGTON - In a recent speech, newly elected House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Harris implied that North Carolina's Republican-majority Legislature should consider awarding its electoral votes to Donald Trump before all ballots are counted. His remarks, made at a Maryland county Republican Party dinner, have sparked controversy and condemnation from Democrats.

During the Q&A session at the Talbot County Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, Harris cited challenges faced by residents in North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene, suggesting it was reasonable for the state Legislature to allocate electors on Election Day, Nov. 5. Ivan Raiklin, a pro-Trump activist who spoke at the event, advocated for Republican-led legislatures in multiple states to convene on Election Day and award electoral votes to Trump, citing concerns over voter disenfranchisement and election integrity.

Raiklin shared a full video of the event on social media platform X, including his exchange with Harris. "In North Carolina, that makes a lot of sense," Harris said. "You statistically can go and say, 'Hey, look, you got disenfranchised in 25 counties... We can't disenfranchise the voters.'" He said this move could potentially prevent disenfranchisement caused by the hurricane.

Harris later released a statement clarifying that the conversation was "theoretical" and had been taken out of context. He emphasized that every legal vote should be counted and pointed out that voting was proceeding smoothly in western North Carolina. Harris also called out Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin for questioning whether he would certify a Trump victory if there were voting anomalies.

Harris has a history of engaging in efforts to challenge election results. He attended a December 2020 White House meeting with Trump and other House Republicans to discuss overturning the 2020 election results, according to the Jan. 6 committee.

Raiklin also urged influential figures like podcaster Joe Rogan, who was scheduled to interview Trump, to call on state legislatures to convene and allocate their electors. He argued that Republicans have an advantage in state legislatures, controlling 276 electoral votes through Republican-dominated Houses and Senates, including Nebraska's unicameral legislature.

Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, harshly criticized Harris's suggestion, viewing it as a maneuver to make Trump President regardless of the election outcome. Murphy emphasized the importance of recognizing the underlying objective to secure Trump's presidency, irrespective of the vote count.