On April 4, 2025, the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 ruling that could upend the 2024 state Supreme Court election, where Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs defeated Republican Jefferson Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million cast. Griffin challenged the eligibility of roughly 65,000 voters, claiming issues like incomplete registration data (missing driver’s license or Social Security digits), ballots from “never residents” (e.g., overseas adult children of residents), and missing photo IDs from some overseas voters. After the State Board of Elections and a Superior Court judge rejected his claims in December 2024 and February 2025, Griffin appealed.
The Appeals Court, led by Republican Judges John Tyson and Fred Gore, sided with Griffin. It ordered county election boards to notify over 60,000 voters with incomplete registrations to provide missing ID details within 15 business days, or their ballots could be excluded. The court also mandated the immediate removal of 267 “never resident” ballots and gave overseas voters a chance to submit photo IDs or face disqualification. This reversed the lower court’s ruling and could shift the election if enough ballots are discarded to erase Riggs’ lead.
Riggs, vowing to appeal to the state Supreme Court (where she’s recused), and voting rights advocates decry the decision as voter disenfranchisement. The Supreme Court, with a 5-1 Republican majority in this case, has yet to rule, leaving the verification process active unless overturned. The decision follows a January 2025 Supreme Court move blocking Riggs’ certification, hinting at further twists ahead.