A federal judge's decision on a contentious North Carolina Supreme Court election race has placed Democratic Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin at the center of a heated legal battle.
According to Newsweek, U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, a Trump appointee, blocked Republican efforts to throw out over 60,000 ballots in the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election, effectively securing Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs's victory.
The ruling comes after Griffin initiated legal proceedings following his narrow defeat in the election, where Riggs maintained a lead of 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million ballots cast. The contested ballots primarily involved military and overseas voters who either failed to provide proper photo identification or had never resided in the United States but claimed North Carolina residency through their parents.
Judge Myers emphasized that removing votes six months after Election Day would violate citizens' due process and equal protection rights. His decision directly challenges recent state appeals court rulings that sought to invalidate thousands of voter ballots deemed ineligible.
The ruling specifically addressed disparities in how overseas military and civilian voters were treated across different counties. Myers ordered the State Board of Elections to certify the results showing Riggs as the winner, though he included a seven-day window for Griffin to appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The judge's decision reflects growing concerns about attempts to alter election outcomes after votes have been cast and counted. His ruling stressed the importance of maintaining consistent election rules to preserve public confidence in democratic institutions.
Following the court's decision, Justice Riggs took to social media to express her satisfaction with the outcome. She emphasized her commitment to upholding constitutional principles and the rule of law in her role in North Carolina's highest court.
Griffin's campaign has maintained a cautious stance, stating that their legal team is reviewing the order and considering their next steps. The seven-day window provided by Judge Myers leaves open the possibility of further legal challenges.
The disputed ballots fall into two main categories: votes from military or overseas voters lacking proper photo identification documentation and ballots cast by overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. but claim North Carolina residency through their parents.
Judge Myers outlined his reasoning in a detailed court ruling, stating:
The cure process offends equal protection principles because it treats overseas military and civilian voters casting ballots in certain counties differently than others who are identically situated. Permitting parties to 'upend the set rules' of an election after the election has taken place can only produce confusion and turmoil [which] threatens to undermine public confidence in the federal courts, state agencies, and the elections themselves.
A Trump-appointed federal judge has blocked Republican efforts to invalidate over 60,000 ballots in North Carolina's Supreme Court election, effectively preserving Democratic Justice Allison Riggs's victory over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.
The ruling addresses constitutional concerns about voter rights and equal protection, particularly regarding military and overseas voters.
While Griffin's team has seven days to appeal the decision to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the State Board of Elections has been ordered to certify results showing Riggs's 734-vote margin of victory in an election that saw more than 5.5 million votes cast.
