On April 3, a federal court ordered that the results of North Carolina’s controversial court race be certified. This decision affirms Democratic candidate Allison Riggs’s victory over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers issued the ruling. This decision follows weeks of expensive recounts that showed Riggs winning by a razor-thin margin of only 734 votes.
After winning the November election, Griffin filed formal protests, challenging to throw out ballots he alleged were illegally voted. The State Board of Elections knocked down all his challenges, which aimed mainly at disenfranchising voters in six heavily Democratic counties. Griffin had intended for Myers to preserve the state court decisions. This ruling allowed voters whose ballots would have been ineligible to have identification submitted within 30 days to authenticate their votes.
In his order, Judge Myers rejected Griffin’s retroactive attempts, arguing that enabling a candidate to change the rules after the qualifications deadline would disenfranchise voters and violate constitutional rights. He emphasized that “you establish the rules before the game. You don’t change them after the game is done,” highlighting the importance of maintaining electoral integrity.
Myers issued an unequivocal, detailed 68-page order. He went out on a limb to assert that tossing votes months after Election Day would constitute a due process and equal protection violation. His ruling upheld that more than 5.5 million ballots were already in. This was the last of the nailbiting races from November’s general election still up in the air.
Griffin’s legal team is currently reviewing Myers’ order and considering their next steps, including the possibility of appealing to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Riggs expressed her confidence in the judicial decision, stating, “Today, we won. I’m proud to continue upholding the Constitution and the rule of law as North Carolina’s Supreme Court Justice.” Demand Justice Democrats and voting rights advocates had condemned the ruling. They are sounding the alarm on Griffin’s unprecedented efforts to rig the election results retroactively.
Judge Myers voiced his concerns regarding Griffin’s actions, noting that they “threaten to undermine public confidence in the federal courts, state agencies, and the elections themselves.” In doing so, he restated about the importance of respecting agreed-upon electoral norms and preserving the integrity of our democracy.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Griffin will pursue an appeal or accept the court’s decision. Meanwhile, both sides await the final certification from the State Board of Elections, which Myers has ordered to proceed without delay.