Federal judge orders NC to certify Supreme Court election results with Democrat leading

A national justice connected Monday ordered the North Carolina elections board to certify results showing Democrat Allison Riggs arsenic the victor of the authorities Supreme Court contention against Republican Jefferson Griffin, ruling that thousands of contested ballots successful the November contention indispensable stay successful the last count. 

U.S. District Judge Richard Myers – who was appointed by President Donald Trump successful 2019 – agreed with Riggs and others who argued it would interruption the U.S. Constitution to transportation retired caller decisions by authorities appeals courts that could region perchance thousands of ballots for overseas subject and their household members who were not required to connect a transcript of their photograph IDs, arsenic good arsenic ballots for a class of "Never Residents," oregon U.S. citizens with household ties to North Carolina who person ne'er lived successful the United States. Myers wrote that votes could not beryllium removed six months aft Election Day without damaging owed process oregon adjacent extortion rights of the affected residents.

Myers ordered the State Board of Elections to certify results that, aft 2 recounts, had Riggs arsenic the victor — by conscionable 734 votes — implicit Griffin. 

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North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin and North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Allison Riggs.  (North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts via AP)

"The State Board SHALL certify the results of the predetermination for Seat 6 based connected the tally astatine the completion of the canvassing play connected December 10, 2024," Myers wrote, denying Griffin’s petitions for judicial reappraisal and injunctive relief. 

The justice delayed his bid for 7 days successful lawsuit Griffin wants to entreaty the ruling to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

More than 5.5 cardinal ballots were formed successful what has been the nation’s past undecided contention from November’s elections. 

Myers said the "case concerns whether the national Constitution permits a authorities to change the rules of an predetermination aft the information and use those changes retroactively to lone a prime radical of voters, and successful truthful doing dainty those voters otherwise than different likewise situated individuals." 

The committee "must not proceed with implementation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court’s orders, and alternatively indispensable certify the results of the predetermination for (the seat) based connected the tally astatine the completion of the canvassing period," Myers wrote.

Griffin, himself a authorities Court of Appeals judge, filed ceremonial protests aft the predetermination successful hopes that removing ballots helium said were unlawfully formed would flip the result to him.

Griffin's ineligible squad was reviewing Myers' bid Monday nighttime and evaluating the adjacent steps, Griffin run spokesperson Paul Shumaker told the Associated Press. 

Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs speaks to protesters astatine a rally successful Raleigh, N.C., connected Monday, April 14, 2025.  (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

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"Today, we won," Riggs said successful a statement. "I‘m arrogant to proceed upholding the Constitution and the regularisation of instrumentality arsenic North Carolina’s Supreme Court Justice."

Griffin wanted Myers to permission undisturbed the authorities courts' decisions, which besides directed that astir of the voters with different ineligible ballots get 30 days to supply identifying accusation for their contention choices to stay successful the tally.

Riggs, the authorities Democratic Party and immoderate affected voters said Griffin was trying to alteration the 2024 predetermination result aft the information by removing ballots formed by voters who complied with voting rules arsenic they were written past fall.

Myers wrote that Griffin’s ceremonial protests aft the election, which were rejected by the State Board of Elections, constituted efforts to marque retroactive changes to the voting laws that would arbitrarily disenfranchise lone the voters who were targeted by Griffin. Griffin’s challenges implicit voters not providing photograph recognition lone covered astatine astir six Democratic-leaning counties successful the state.

Judge Jefferson Griffin, the Republican campaigner for the N.C. Supreme Court, listens to grounds successful Wake County Superior Court connected Friday, February 7, 2025, successful Raleigh, N.C.  (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP, File)

"You found the rules earlier the game. You don’t alteration them aft the crippled is done," Myers wrote successful a 68-page order. "Permitting parties to ‘upend the acceptable rules’ of an predetermination aft the predetermination has taken spot tin lone nutrient ‘confusion and turmoil'" that "'threatens to undermine nationalist assurance successful the national courts, authorities agencies, and the elections themselves,'" helium added.

One class of ballots that authorities appellate courts recovered to beryllium ineligible covered subject oregon overseas voters who did not supply copies of photograph recognition oregon an ID objection signifier with their absentee ballots. A authorities regularisation exempted them from the requirement. The appeals courts had permitted a "cure" process for these voters, truthful their ballots could inactive number successful the race.

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The different class of ballots that the appellate courts declared violated the authorities constitution were formed by overseas voters who person ne'er lived successful the U.S. but whose parents were declared North Carolina residents. A authorities instrumentality had authorized these persons to ballot successful authorities elections. 

Griffin filed ceremonial protests that appeared to screen much than 65,000 ballots. Ensuing authorities tribunal rulings whittled down the full to betwixt 1,675 and 7,000, according to tribunal filings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.