RALEIGH, N.C. - Following nearly two months of court fights and wrangling over lost votes, the North Carolina Board of Elections on Wednesday ordered a new statewide election for the closely contested race for agriculture commissioner.

Republican Steve Troxler leads Democratic incumbent Britt Cobb by 2,287 votes in final results from the Nov. 2 election. That figure was left in doubt by the discovery that an electronic voting machine error in Carteret County eliminated 4,438 votes.

No date was set for the new election, which won't occur until April at the earliest and cost $3.5 million. Turnout is expected to be low, maybe less than 10 percent of the more than 3.3 million votes cast in November.

The board Nov. 30 had called for a special election limited to Carteret County, but a judge threw out that plan and told the board to come up with a new solution.

The board voted 3-2 Wednesday to amend its earlier order, with the board's three Democrats voting in the majority.

Attorneys for Cobb argued state law required a statewide election because the number of missing ballots exceeds the margin between the two candidates.

Troxler wanted only the displaced voters in Carteret County to have a chance to cast new ballots. Republicans argue Cobb probably couldn't overtake Troxler if only 4,438 voters in the Republican-leaning county were asked to cast ballots again.

Troxler said he would probably appeal. "I'm John Q. Public running for office," he said. "And I think John Q. Public has been treated pretty shabbily during this political process."

Cobb said he looked forward to a new campaign. "I've said all along that it's the job of the Board of Elections and the courts to determine what the law requires and it's the candidates' job to obey," he said.