Fraud in the Tar Heel state.

• *

If the only thing that you have been focusing on in the news of late is the shenanigans of the trump crime family and their cronies, you might want to start paying attention to what has been happening in the state of North Carolina.

This is a good time to remind you that even though republicans (led by the ridiculous assertions of their leader) like to talk about voter fraud and the integrity of the voting process, it is republicans of late who like to suppress votes and do everything in their powers to ensure that they win by whatever mean necessary.

"Enough confusion has clouded a North Carolina congressional race that the state's Board of Elections has announced a delay to certifying Republican Mark Harris' electoral victory over Democrat Dan McCready in the state's 9th district due to "claims of irregularities and fraudulent activities."

In a 7-2 vote on Friday, the board said it will instead hold a public hearing by Dec. 21 "to assure that the election is determined without taint of fraud or corruption and without irregularities that may have changed the result." It follows a unanimous vote earlier this week to postpone election certification results.

The Friday vote fueled fresh uncertainty about the outcome of the race, and raised the possibility that a second election could ultimately be called. The two candidates are separated by 905 votes out of more than 280,000 cast, according to unofficial election results. The Associated Press originally called the race for Harris, but revoked that projection on Friday. "

Here is why they "revoked" their projections.

"In a letter sent to the board of elections, North Carolina's Democratic Party made claims of wrongdoing. The Washington Post reported that the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement has already collected at least six sworn statements from voters in Bladen County alleging that people came to their doors and urged them to hand over their absentee ballots.

In Bladen and Robeson counties, some 3,400 absentee ballots failed to be mailed back to election officials, according to NPR member station WFAE.

That equates to 40 percent of mail-in ballots in Bladen County and 64 percent in Robeson, according to a News & Observer analysis.

Gerry Cohen, an elections expert in North Carolina, told WFAE that when people go through the process to request an absentee ballot, they often return them. "The return rate is usually about 80 or 90 percent," he said.

November's unreturned ballots were disproportionately associated with minorities, according to the News & Observer:

More than 40 percent of the ballots requested by African Americans and more than 60 percent of those requested by American Indians did not make it back to elections officials. For white voters, that figure was just 17 percent.

In one affidavit received by the board, a woman named Emma Shipman said she was visited by a person who claimed to be gathering absentee ballots, WFAE reported.

Shipman said she filled out the form while the woman waited outside. "She took the ballot and put it in an envelope and never sealed it or asked me to sign it. Then she left."

Collecting absentee ballots by a third party is illegal. But, Shipman said, "Because of the way she presented herself, I thought she was legitimate."

The candidates running in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District race took opposing views of the election board's postponement.

"I respect today's decision by the bipartisan Board of Elections to delay certification of our election results until a full investigation is completed," Democratic candidate McCready said. He added, "Any effort to rob a person of that right should be met with the full force of justice."

Harris opposed the decision and said, "The State Board of Elections should act immediately to certify the race while continuing to conduct their investigation. Anything else is a disservice to the people of the Ninth District."

He said he supported efforts to investigate allegations of voter fraud, "as long as it is fair and focuses on all political parties." Harris said there were not enough ballots in question to affect the outcome of the race." [Source]

As was the case in Georgia, the voter suppression apparatus was in full effect in North Carolina. Unlike Georgia, though, they might not be able to get away with it in the Tar Heel state. There is just too much that doesn't seem right there.  In Georgia they tried to be a bit more discreet and chary about it. In North Carolina, however, they were more blatant about suppressing the vote and doing what they had to do to make sure that they didn't get swept up by the blue wave.

So remember what's going on in states like North Carolina and Georgia when you hear Mr. trump and members of his party talking about voter fraud. From the look of things, it's a lame attempt to distract you while they pick your pocket. Or, in this case, steal your vote.

*Pic from AFP/Getty images via vox.com