Griffin concedes defeat in North Carolina Supreme Court election

In North Carolina, a legal battle concerning the state Supreme Court election concluded when Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin announced he would concede the race to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs. This announcement came after a federal court ruled that disputed ballots, which Griffin sought to exclude, must be counted. The federal district court's decision mandated certification of the election results, confirming that Riggs won by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast. Griffin acknowledged the court's ruling, stating that he would not pursue an appeal and expressed respect for the legal process throughout the case. Griffin's challenge involved allegations primarily targeting Democratic-leaning counties, where he sought to invalidate tens of thousands of ballots based on claims of clerical errors and procedural technicalities, without evidence of voter fraud. Election experts criticized Griffin’s actions, arguing that such tactics posed a threat to the integrity of the electoral process and could disenfranchise voters. They warned that if such attempts by losing candidates became a trend, it could undermine public confidence in elections overall. After Griffin's legal protests and appeals, totaling an initial claim covering more than 65,000 ballots, courts limited the focus to a significantly smaller number of ballots in dispute, ranging from 1,675 to 7,000. Many of the ballots Griffin's campaign contested belonged to military and overseas voters who were unable to provide the necessary identification or exception forms mandated by state law. The courts determined that retroactively invalidating these ballots would harm the federal due process rights of these voters. As a result of Griffin's concession, Riggs is set to officially take her seat as an associate justice, solidifying her party's efforts to regain control of the state Supreme Court. Both candidates expressed a commitment to respecting the will of the voters, with Riggs stating her belief that democracy prevailed after a long and contentious process. Griffin also conveyed his intention to continue serving as a judge in North Carolina while wishing his opponent well in her upcoming term.