North Carolina Judges Support GOP Colleague’s Push to Overturn Election Results and Discard Votes

In North Carolina, a recent court ruling has created a stir over voting rights. More than 65,000 voters, who thought they had the right to vote in the state Supreme Court election, now find their ballots at risk of being discarded. This comes after a divided appeals court ruled that these voters may not meet eligibility criteria.

The state Supreme Court election, which took place in November, saw Democrat Allison Riggs narrowly defeating Republican Jefferson Griffin by just 734 votes. Following the election, Griffin challenged around 60,000 ballots he claimed were invalid. This led to a court decision last week allowing those ballots to be questioned.

Judges John Tyson and Fred Gore, who supported the ruling, expressed concerns that counting unlawful votes could undermine the integrity of the election. “Counting unlawful votes alongside lawful ballots can disenfranchise those who voted correctly,” they stated.

Riggs has vowed to appeal the decision, calling it a “dangerous precedent” that jeopardizes the voices of legitimate voters. “This is an attempt to dismiss the will of the people,” she said.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections had previously denied Griffin’s claims, but the court overruled that decision. Now, the state board must give these challenged voters a 15-day period to prove they are eligible to vote.

Interestingly, over 60,000 of the challenged voters failed to provide either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering. Additionally, about 5,500 ballots from overseas voters were also questioned due to missing identification.

Historically, North Carolina has required such identification since 2004, but it was only in 2023 that the voter registration forms were updated to reflect these requirements. This raised questions about why these forms were not enforced more rigorously before the recent election.

Critics of the ruling argue that it could lead to widespread disenfranchisement. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Toby Hampson pointed out that Griffin didn’t identify any specific voter who should have been disqualified. He emphasized that these voters followed the rules in place during the election, suggesting an unjust retroactive change in eligibility.

Concerns extend beyond North Carolina. Bob Phillips from Common Cause has labeled the ruling a “disgrace.” He warns that it could encourage similar challenges to voting rights across the country. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, echoed this sentiment, deeming the ruling an “assault on democracy.”

As we look ahead, this case will go to the North Carolina Supreme Court, where Riggs will have to step aside, leaving Republicans a majority in the decision-making process.

As the discussions around voting rights evolve, experts remind us of a critical statistic: a study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that more than 1 in 10 eligible voters encounter obstacles that may stop them from voting. This makes it more crucial to protect every vote and ensure all eligible voices are heard.

This recent ruling highlights the ongoing struggle for voting rights in America and the importance of understanding electoral policies. It poses a significant question: how can we ensure that all eligible voters maintain their rights without hindrance?



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