Federal judges say disputed North Carolina Supreme Court race belongs in state courts, for now
WUNC | By Rusty Jacobs
Published February 4, 2025 at 6:28 PM EST
State courts will get the first crack at resolving the as-yet-uncertified race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. But, depending on the outcome in state courts, the matter could still go before a federal tribunal.
On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order that means Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin's protests over more than 65,000 ballots will play out in state courts before any questions under federal law can be addressed.
Griffin trails Democrat Allison Riggs, an incumbent associate justice on the state Supreme Court, by 734 votes. That gap has been confirmed by multiple recounts.
However, Griffin is protesting more than 65,000 ballots over alleged irregularities, including incomplete voter registrations and a photo ID exemption for military and overseas voters. Following hearings on his protests, the North Carolina State Board of Elections dismissed Griffin's protests in December, citing a lack of evidence of any actual voter ineligibility.
https://www.wunc.org/politics/2025-02-04/federal-judges-north-carolina-supreme-court-riggs-griffin
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