Context:

The Republican challenger, Jefferson Griffin, conceded the North Carolina Supreme Court election to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs after a federal judge ruled that disputed ballots must remain in the final tally. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers ordered the State Board of Elections to certify Riggs as the winner by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million cast, while Griffin chose not to appeal the decision. The ruling emphasized the protection of federal due process and equal protection rights, particularly for ballots cast by military and overseas voters. Myers argued that changing voting rules after the election would undermine those rights, while Griffin maintained his legal efforts aimed to uphold the rule of law. Riggs’ victory enhances Democratic efforts to potentially regain a majority in the North Carolina Supreme Court in the future.

Dive Deeper:

• Jefferson Griffin conceded the North Carolina Supreme Court election to Allison Riggs after a federal judge's ruling favored keeping the disputed ballots in the tally, showing Riggs as the winner by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million cast.

• U.S. District Judge Richard Myers ruled against Griffin’s attempts to disqualify ballots from military and overseas voters, emphasizing that retroactively invalidating these votes would violate federal due process and equal protection rights.

• Most contested ballots were from military and overseas voters who lacked photo ID documentation, but a 30-day cure period allowed these votes to still count, adhering to 2024 election rules.

• Griffin's efforts were seen as potentially undermining democratic processes, with Democrats and voting rights groups arguing that targeting Democratic-leaning counties was an attack on democracy.

• Judge Myers, appointed by Trump, stressed that voting rules should not be altered post-election, indicating that doing so would unfairly burden voters and infringe on their rights.

• The ruling reinforced existing election laws, recognizing that while some state laws were not followed, the changes sought by Griffin could not be applied after the election had concluded.

• Allison Riggs' victory provides a strategic advantage for Democrats in their ongoing efforts to regain control of the North Carolina Supreme Court in upcoming elections.