Federal Judge Upholds Democratic Justice's Victory in North Carolina Supreme Court Race
A federal judge determined that the North Carolina election board must certify the Democratic justice's victory in a Supreme Court race without disqualifying any ballots. Judge Richard Myers ruled against changing election rules post-vote, preserving electoral fairness and upholding constitutional rights, while pausing his order for appeal considerations.
A federal judge in North Carolina has ordered the state's election board not to discard any ballots from November's Supreme Court race, upholding the election result favoring a Democratic justice. The ruling preserves the victory of Justice Allison Riggs over Republican opponent Judge Jefferson Griffin.
Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, appointed by Donald Trump, sided with Riggs, reinforcing the principle that election rules cannot be changed after the fact. This decision follows the North Carolina Supreme Court's rejection of Griffin's challenge to thousands of ballots, primarily from military and overseas voters.
Myers emphasized that altering election rules retroactively violates the equal protection and due process rights of voters. His ruling comes with a seven-day pause, allowing Griffin's campaign time to consider an appeal. The race had Riggs appointed to the court in 2023, vying for a full eight-year term.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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