By Jordan Meadows | Staff Writer
The North Carolina Supreme Court election remains embroiled in a legal dispute as Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin challenges the validity of more than 65,000 ballots cast in the November 5 election. Griffin, who currently serves on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, is seeking to have these ballots thrown out, a move that could potentially flip the results of his race against the incumbent Democrat, Justice Allison Riggs.
As it stands, Riggs holds a lead of 734 votes, a margin that was confirmed after two recounts. However, Griffin’s legal battle has kept the certification in lingo, as a stay granted by the NC Supreme Court on January 7 blocked the North Carolina State Board of Elections from officially certifying Riggs as the winner.
Griffin is challenging the inclusion of three sets of ballots in the final tally. First, he claims that over 60,000 votes were cast by individuals whose voter registration records appeared to lack required information such as a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Secondly, more than 5,500 overseas voters cast ballots without providing proof of photo identification. Lastly, Griffin challenges the legitimacy of 267 votes cast by individuals who, according to his claims, have never lived in North Carolina.
The state Supreme Court, which holds a 5-2 Republican majority, has so far seen mixed opinions on the case. Justice Riggs has recused herself, leaving a 5-1 Republican majority in her absence. However, Republican Justice Richard Dietz has previously split from the majority in two key decisions related to the election dispute, where votes were split 4-2.
Griffin is due to submit a final written brief by March 3, though the North Carolina Court of Appeals has not yet scheduled oral arguments.
On February 7, Wake County Superior Court Judge William Pittman rejected all three of Griffin’s ballot challenges, ruling in favor of the votes being counted as legitimate. Undeterred, Griffin appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals, prompting the state elections board to seek a bypass petition to bring the matter before the Supreme Court.
In a rare move, the state’s high court rejected the bypass petition on a 4-2 vote, with Justice Dietz joining Democratic Justice Anita Earls in dissent. As the case progresses, Riggs continues to serve on the state Supreme Court, while Griffin maintains his position on the Appeals Court, with both sides awaiting a final resolution that could alter the composition of the state’s highest court.
