As of December 3, 2024, the North Carolina Supreme Court race between Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Judge Jefferson Griffin remains unresolved, pending the completion of recounts and adjudication of legal challenges.
Initial Results and Recount Requests
Following the November 5 election, preliminary results showed Justice Riggs leading Judge Griffin by approximately 625 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast. This narrow margin prompted Judge Griffin to request a statewide machine recount, which was completed earlier this week. The recount confirmed Riggs’ lead, with a slight increase to 734 votes.
Legal Challenges and Ballot Protests
In addition to the recount, Judge Griffin has filed over 300 election protests across all 100 counties, challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots. His allegations include concerns about ballots cast by individuals with felony convictions, incomplete voter registration forms, and other discrepancies. Notably, among the challenged ballots are those cast by Justice Riggs’ parents.
Current Status and Next Steps
The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) is currently reviewing these protests. County election boards have been conducting partial hand-to-eye recounts in randomly selected precincts. If significant discrepancies are found, a full statewide hand recount may be initiated.
Justice Riggs has declared victory based on the recount results and has called on Judge Griffin to concede. However, Griffin’s campaign emphasizes the importance of ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of the election process.
Implications
The outcome of this race will maintain the current composition of the North Carolina Supreme Court, which holds a 5-2 Republican majority. Justice Riggs and Justice Anita Earls are the two Democrats on the seven-member court.
The final certification of the election results is pending the completion of the recounts and the resolution of the legal challenges. The NCSBE plans to evaluate Griffin’s claims this month, with final briefs for the case due soon. The Bull City Citizen will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.
