After two recounts — one by machine and one by hand — incumbent N.C. Supreme Court justice Allison Riggs has confirmed her victory over GOP candidate and UNC alum Jefferson Griffin by 734 votes. Since the election, Griffin has exhausted numerous avenues to challenge these electoral results — from asking for a partial hand-to-eye recount to going to the N.C. Board of Elections.
His latest gambit? Asking the N.C. Supreme Court to nullify the votes of some 60,000 North Carolinians, largely on the basis that their driver license or partial Social Security number are not in the voter registration database. Note that in North Carolina, voters must provide photo ID to cast their ballots on Election Day, and those voting from overseas must provide driver’s licenses or Social Security numbers to request mail-in ballots.
Judge Griffin’s flagrant attempt to undermine votes would, if it succeeds, void thousands of ballots, including those of Allison Riggs’ parents and even a number of elected officials. While the list includes votes across party lines, the N&O found that Black voters were twice as likely to have their ballots challenged.
Griffin and his attorney have been unable to provide evidence of any illegitimate votes. Last month, the state Board of Elections dismissed Griffin’s claims, citing lack of evidence and inadequate notice provided to voters. The N.C. Supreme Court, conversely, blocked certification of the election results and decided to hear Griffin’s case. They will do so later this month, as will the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Those elected to the highest court in North Carolina must display the highest understanding of honor, integrity and respect for the law. This is about more than just Griffin’s lack of respect and honor — it’s about the state of politicking that threatens the electoral, political process itself and normalization, over 20 years, of subverting results we don’t like.
Griffin’s refusal to concede the results of the election is yet another addition to the growing list of attempts to undermine our democratic processes under the guise of “election security.” This argument was used by the George Bush campaign to halt Florida’s recount during the 2000 election, resulting in an electoral victory for Bush over opponent Al Gore. Donald Trump similarly attempted to leverage state courts in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and it has been little more than four years since that unfounded rhetoric resulted in an insurrection. It’s alarming that unsubstantiated claims of election interference are infiltrating the state level, further platforming those who seek to undermine the integrity of our democracy.
This betrays both the trust of the people and the law of the state Griffin seeks to preside over. Someone who truly has regard for the law and the integrity of our elections would not subvert that for personal gain, and Griffin’s failure to uphold these standards more than prove that he is unfit to hold such an important position.
As incumbent, Riggs’ victory would not change the 5-2 makeup of the conservative majority court, but it would give Democrats a chance at flipping the court in their favor in 2028. Importantly, that would give North Carolina, a state with one of the worst partisan gerrymandering in the country, a chance to return to a map reflecting the true political inclinations of the populace.
It is deplorable that a former Tar Heel would so egregiously seek to subvert election results and undermine the votes of thousands of North Carolinians. It is a perversion of our justice system, perpetuated by a man who ran his campaign on protecting our Constitution, perpetuating integrity in the courtroom and defending the rule of law. The blankly partisan nature of the N.C. Supreme Court has allowed Griffin to taint our system of elections.
