NC Supreme Court Orders Counting of 60,000 Ballots Amid Election Contest

The outcome of the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election remains uncertain after Republican Jefferson Griffin, who lost to Democrat Allison Riggs by 734 votes following two recounts, challenged the validity of over 65,000 ballots, including those from military, overseas, and alleged non-resident voters. The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled to toss out about 260 ballots labeled as 'never residents' and required overseas military voters to provide photo ID within 30 days for their votes to count. Griffin's ongoing legal challenges, focused on ballots from predominantly Democratic counties, have stalled certification of the race. Some voters and legal experts argue that changing ballot requirements retroactively undermines democratic norms and could disenfranchise voters who complied with rules in place at the time of voting. A federal judge has blocked certification of the results until further court review, while affected voters have filed lawsuits to protect their ballots. The dispute highlights growing tensions over election laws and the fragility of democratic processes in close, high-stakes contests.