A federal judge has ordered that the disputed judicial election returns in North Carolina should be certified. Democrat Allison Riggs tops the current ballot count. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers said it was imperative to maintain the integrity of the election process. He admonished that attempting to return and alter the results of an election in earnest breeds “chaos and discord.”
The issues introduced by Republican candidate Griffin only affected six highly Democratic counties in the state. Griffin had claimed ballots from these localities were illegally cast. His legal team implored Myers to defer to the judgment of state courts. These rulings gave voters who cast ineligible ballots a 30-day period to supply the identifying information needed. This process is important for safeguarding that legitimate votes continue to be counted.
Griffin’s campaign spokesperson, Paul Shumaker, indicated that the team was reviewing Myers’ order on Monday night and evaluating potential next steps. After election day, Griffin filed formal objections to have these ballots disqualified. He thought this strategy might be enough to turn the election around in favor of the record-long-shot candidate. The State Board of Elections, for its part, vigorously contested his appeals. They claimed that his actions tried to retroactively alter voting laws in a way that unjustly disenfranchised certain voters.
Democrats and voting rights organizations have been vocal about their opposition to Griffin’s leadership. They say Griffin’s efforts to invalidate those ballots would strike a direct blow at democracy. They think he’s attempting to change the future electoral playing field post-vote. The North Carolina Democratic Party and affected voters have accused Griffin of trying to change the 2024 election outcome post-facto, targeting voters who complied with existing voting regulations.
In an excellent statement reflecting on the ruling, Judge Myers explained why changing the rules of election after the fact is so dangerous.
“You establish the rules before the game. You don’t change them after the game is done.” – U.S. District Judge Richard Myers
Myers further asserted that such maneuvers could “threaten to undermine public confidence in the federal courts, state agencies, and the elections themselves.” His decision amplifies the importance of the judiciary to protect elections integrity. It further buttresses the important rule of law concept that no one, including government, is above the rules.
As the attorneys who worked on this case, we are thrilled that justice prevailed in this case.
“Today, we won. I’m proud to continue upholding the Constitution and the rule of law as North Carolina’s Supreme Court Justice.” – Allison Riggs
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