Federal judge orders North Carolina to certify state Supreme Court election in favor of Democrat

A federal judge has ordered the North Carolina State Board of Elections to certify the results of the state's 2024 Supreme Court election, giving Democrat incumbent Justice Allison Riggs the advantage, at least for now, in the still-contested race.

The ruling on the results, challenged in court by Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin, was made Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers.

Last month, the state Supreme Court ruled the majority of the contested ballots must be counted. The court, in a 4-2 decision, determined that ballots containing missing information, including Social Security numbers, were still valid, according to The Hill newspaper. 

However, the ruling also determined some ballots could be struck, including thousands of overseas and military ballots on which voters needed to prove their identity.

Myers in ruling that the ballots challenged by Griffin should be counted also said the “retroactive invalidation of absentee ballots cast by overseas military and civilian voters violates those voters’ substantive due process rights.”

Griffin has seven days to appeal before the order takes effect.