NC Democrats sue over GOP’s challenge of 60,000 ballots in Supreme Court race
The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a federal lawsuit on Friday seeking to invalidate Republicans’ challenge of over 60,000 ballots cast in the state Supreme Court election.
“No North Carolinian deserves to have their vote thrown out in a callous power grab — but this is no surprise from the party of insurrectionists,” NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton said in a press release. “We are prepared to take on Republicans. They can’t stop the results of an election just because they don’t like the fact that we won.”
The lawsuit comes over a month after Election Day and adds to an already contentious post-election fight over a seat on the state’s highest court.
Republican Jefferson Griffin initially led Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs by about 10,000 votes on Election Night. But after outstanding absentee and provisional ballots were counted, Riggs took the lead in the race.
Following a statewide machine recount of the results, Riggs’ 734-vote lead didn’t budge.
The race is currently undergoing a hand recount in certain precincts, but Griffin’s main recourse for challenging the results is the election protests he has filed, which aim to disqualify over 60,000 votes.
Democrats’ lawsuit warns that these protests could lead to “mass disenfranchisement” and violate North Carolinians’ fundamental right to vote.
Griffin’s protests present a variety of reasons for why certain votes should be thrown out, ranging from allegations that the voter may have been serving a felony sentence on Election Day to suspicions that the voter may have died after casting their ballot during early voting.
However, the vast majority of the challenged votes are being contested using legal arguments — most of which have so far been rejected by state and federal courts.
Griffin argues that tens of thousands of voters who do not have a driver’s license number or Social Security number associated with their voter registration should have their votes thrown out.
The Republican National Committee made the same argument before the election, but had its case partially rejected by a federal judge who was appointed by former President Donald Trump.
Griffin’s protests will be considered by the State Board of Elections, which is currently composed of three Democrats and two Republicans.
Griffin has asked that one of the board’s Democratic members, Siobhan Millen, recuse herself from the case because her husband is a partner at the law firm which represents Riggs.
Her husband, Press Millen, told The News & Observer he is not representing Riggs in any matters before the board and is shielded from his firm’s work on the case by an ethical screen.
On Friday, Griffin and the NC GOP asked the state Court of Appeals to compel the State Board of Elections to rule on his protests by Tuesday.
“The people of North Carolina deserve clarity and confidence in the electoral process,” NC GOP Chair Jason Simmons said in a press release. “Judge Griffin has taken an important step in ensuring that the State Board fulfills its responsibility to act promptly, resolve these protests, and uphold the integrity of our elections.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 5:05 PM.
