Republican Candidate Challenges North Carolina Supreme Court Election Results
Republican Jefferson Griffin, a candidate for the North Carolina Supreme Court, is contesting the election results that led to his narrow loss. Griffin is seeking to invalidate 60,000 ballots, a move criticized as voter suppression, even by some election skeptics.
The North Carolina Supreme Court has issued an order preventing the certification of Democratic Justice Allison Riggs as the winner. Despite a full machine recount and a partial hand recount showing Riggs leading by 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast, the court’s decision blocks official recognition of her victory.
In a 4-2 decision, the court, with the exception of one Republican justice, voted to halt the certification process. Justice Riggs recused herself from this vote. Griffin’s challenge is now set to be reviewed by the court he hopes to join.
“An Attempt to Change the Rules After the Game is Played”
The cornerstone of Griffin’s challenge is based on a controversial theory that targets ballots from voters whose registrations lacked either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. State election officials have noted that such omissions often result from administrative errors rather than voter misconduct. Voters affected include those who registered before updates in paperwork or those who used alternative documents like utility bills to confirm their identity. These voters were still required to verify their identity when voting, typically with a driver’s license.
Critics argue that Griffin’s theory resembles voter suppression. “I appreciate fighting for every vote,” said Orr, a critic of the challenge. “But the bottom line is: Did anyone vote illegally? At this point, no. And we’re weeks past the election and multiple recounts, and there’s no evidence of that.”
Baseless Theory Behind the Challenge
The theory underpinning Griffin’s challenge originates from Carol Snow, an election denier and activist. Snow has been active in questioning election validity, citing missing voter information as a gateway to fraudulent voting. Nonetheless, neither she nor her supporters have provided proof of widespread fraud.
Legal experts and election officials have dismissed Snow’s claims. “The state’s database issues do not equate to voter fraud,” attorneys for the state election board stated.
Griffin’s challenge is part of a broader trend where unverified claims are used to erode trust in elections. Although Griffin has not commented on the ongoing litigation, his critics, including Riggs’ campaign, have urged him to concede.
“North Carolina voters have already spoken,” stated Riggs’ campaign. “This election should not be decided in court.”
