CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — National Democratic leaders are calling the ongoing legal challenge in a race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat, an assault on voting rights.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison spoke with reporters Monday afternoon, as North Carolina’s GOP and Republican Jefferson Griffin prepare their arguments for why tens of thousands of ballots should be thrown out. Griffin has lost multiple recounts to incumbent, Democratic Justice Allison Riggs.
Griffin and the GOP allege that the ballots they have identified contain irregularities when it comes to registration, allegations that were dismissed by Harrison.
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“They can’t stand the fact that they were rejected by North Carolina voters. Fair and square. They become more and more desperate as the weeks have dragged on,” said Harrison.
North Carolina’s Supreme Court, which holds a conservative majority, delayed certification of the election last week, wanting to first hear arguments from the parties in the case. But now the case is also in federal court. The State Board of Elections is asking appellate judges if the case should have ever been allowed to go before the state justices. Democrats, who side with the Board of Elections, worry if Griffin wins out, elections nationwide could see unnecessary challenges.
“This playbook is not new to our state, but it is one that Republicans will take and make a national playbook if they’re able to succeed here,” said North Carolina Chair Anderson Clayton.
A spokesperson for the North Carolina GOP told Queen City News that Griffin and the party are simply fighting for election integrity, that their only pursuit is to rectify documented problems with voter registration.
“Democrats are trying to short-circuit the rule of law in order to preserve an electoral outcome. We are simply fighting for election integrity with issues we have documented conflict with state law and are not disputed by the State Board of Elections. Judge Griffin and the NCGOP are fighting to count every legal vote in this important election.”
NC Republican Party Spokesperson
It is unclear how a federal ruling would impact a state ruling. As it stands now, both cases seem to move at the same pace and are set to hear arguments or receive last filings in about two weeks.
