RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal judge has intervened in North Carolina’s Supreme Court election, ordering the state’s election board not to discard any ballots cast ahead of a closely contested race. The decision comes as Democratic Justice Allison Riggs seeks to secure her electoral win amid challenges from Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin.
Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Myers made his ruling on Monday, affirming that Griffin, who is behind by 734 votes, cannot alter electoral rules retrospectively to affect the outcome. Myers emphasized the integrity of voters’ rights, indicating that the federal Constitution does not allow for selective changes to election rules after voting has taken place.
This judicial intervention follows a recent North Carolina Supreme Court directive that raised questions about thousands of ballots submitted by military and overseas voters. Although the state’s highest court dismissed Griffin’s request to discard over 60,000 ballots, it did express concerns about a smaller number of ballots from overseas voters that lacked the required photo identification for eligibility verification within a 30-day timeframe.
Riggs argued that the proposed legal actions to invalidate ballots are unprecedented and could disenfranchise countless voters. In his ruling, Myers acknowledged the potential violation of voters’ equal protection and due process rights under the U.S. Constitution if the state supreme court’s ruling were to take effect.
The election board indicated that the compliance measures would specifically impact at most 1,675 voters, but Griffin maintained that the number could be significantly higher. Myers has given Griffin a seven-day window to contemplate an appeal of the decision.
Riggs, appointed to the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2023 by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, is vying for a full eight-year term after filling a position in the seven-member court. Initially, as polls closed on November 5, Griffin led by nearly 10,000 votes, but this advantage diminished as additional ballots were counted. A total of over 5.5 million ballots were cast during the election.
Riggs’ campaign did not provide immediate comments regarding the latest ruling, while Griffin’s team stated that they are evaluating possible next steps following Myers’ decision.
This case has underscored ongoing tensions surrounding election laws and voter rights in North Carolina, as both parties navigate the implications of judicial involvement in electoral matters.
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