Court Rule May Jeopardize Your Vote In N.C.

 Early and Absentee Voters Should Check Status

BY Mildred Robertson

The North Carolina State Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision on Friday, April 4, 2025, that as many as 65,000 North Carolinians who thought they were eligible to vote could have their ballots thrown out. The court says that the contested ballots in the state Supreme Court race should be recounted and verified. The Court of Appeals gave the challenged voters 15 days to prove eligibility.

In this hotly contested race held in November 2024, Republican State Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin trailed incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs by fewer than 1,000 votes.  Riggs and the Democratic Party declared victory months ago after all the votes had been counted. Griffin, however, challenged the validity of certain ballots for numerous reasons.

The lawsuit prevents the state elections board from certifying Riggs as the winner five months after the election. The 2-1 ruling from the North Carolina Court of Appeals came in response to Republicans’ months-long effort to overturn the results of the state Supreme Court election in November. Democrat Allison Riggs, who currently sits on the NC State Court of Appeals, defeated Appellate Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican, by 734 votes.

Justice Allison Riggs

After the election, Griffin filed a protest seeking to disqualify around 65,000 votes. Among those challenged are voters who did not present a photo ID and American citizens living abroad who voted but never resided in the U.S. The latter are individuals who are citizens because one or both parents are U.S. citizens.

Griffin currently sits on the North Carolina Court of Appeals – the body that issued Friday’s ruling. A panel of three of his colleagues heard the case. Court of Appeals Judge Toby, the lone registered Democrat, dissented from the decision, stating that Griffin had not identified one voter who was ineligible to vote in the November elections under the laws and rules governing elections.

Justice Riggs stated, “We will be promptly appealing this deeply misinformed decision that threatens to disenfranchise more than 65,000 lawful voters and sets a dangerous precedent, allowing disappointed politicians to thwart the will of the people.”

The state board of elections previously rejected Griffin’s request and a superior court judge upheld their decision. Friday’s ruling from the court of appeals overturned that ruling. The Appeals Court ruling also reverses the decision of a trial judge who upheld the State Board of Elections action in February.  

If you think you may be among those citizens whose vote has been challenged, you should have received a notice in the mail from the North Carolina Republican Party which includes a link to protest. You can also go to the State Board of Elections’ website. It is organized by county and the reason for the challenge. You can search https://tinyurl.com/3b826h3v, then locate the links to your home county. There you will find a list of names. If your name is there you can find it by hitting ctrl+f and then type in your name.

Other alternatives include a searchable spreadsheet by government watchdog Bob Hall. Type https://tinyurl.com/bdf37zuy. Or you may access the Triangle Blog website at The Griffin List.