The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) has initiated a federal lawsuit to prevent the potential invalidation of over 60,000 ballots in a closely contested state Supreme Court election. This legal action responds to challenges from Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin, who contends that these ballots are invalid due to alleged issues with voter registration records.
Griffin’s protests focus on ballots cast by voters whose registration records purportedly lack driver’s license numbers or partial Social Security numbers, as well as ballots from overseas voters who have never resided in North Carolina. He argues that these discrepancies warrant the exclusion of the affected ballots. Currently, Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes following a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots.
The NCDP’s lawsuit asserts that discarding these ballots would violate federal law, which prohibits retroactive removal of voters from registration lists after an election. The party seeks a judicial declaration to prevent the State Board of Elections from invalidating the contested votes. NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton emphasized that “no North Carolinian deserves to have their vote thrown out in a callous power grab.”
In parallel, Griffin has filed motions in state courts to expedite the State Board of Elections’ decision on his protests, aiming for a resolution before the board’s tentatively scheduled hearing. He argues that delays undermine public trust in the electoral process.
This legal dispute also involves three Republican legislative candidates who have joined Griffin’s protests. The outcomes of these cases could significantly impact the partisan balance in North Carolina’s legislature and influence the authority of Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein.
The unfolding legal battles underscore the heightened tensions and stakes in North Carolina’s electoral processes, reflecting broader national debates over election integrity and voter rights.
