Judge orders North Carolina to certify country’s final contested 2024 election

In a landmark decision, U.S. District Judge Richard Myers has ordered the North Carolina elections board to certify Democrat Allison Riggs as the winner of the state Supreme Court race against Republican Jefferson Griffin. This ruling comes after a contentious legal battle over the validity of thousands of contested ballots in the November contest.

Judge Myers, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, sided with Riggs and others who argued that removing ballots at this stage would violate the constitutional rights of voters. Specifically, the judge highlighted concerns about due process and equal protection, stating that votes cannot be removed six months after Election Day without causing harm to the affected residents.

After two recounts, Riggs emerged as the winner by a slim margin of just 734 votes. Judge Myers has now ordered the State Board of Elections to certify these results and deny Griffin’s petitions for judicial review and injunctive relief. However, the judge has allowed Griffin seven days to appeal the ruling to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

With over 5.5 million ballots cast, this race has been the last undecided contest from the November elections. Judge Myers emphasized that the case revolves around whether a state can change election rules retroactively and treat certain voters differently than others. He directed the board to certify the election results based on the tally at the completion of the canvassing period.

Griffin, a state Court of Appeals judge, had filed formal protests in an attempt to overturn the outcome in his favor. His legal team is currently reviewing Judge Myers’ order and considering their next steps. Meanwhile, Riggs expressed her satisfaction with the ruling, stating that she is proud to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law as North Carolina’s Supreme Court Justice.

The dispute centered around ballots from overseas military voters and “Never Residents,” U.S. citizens with family ties to North Carolina who have never lived in the United States. The state courts had allowed a “cure” process for these voters to provide identifying information and ensure their ballots counted in the race.

In his 68-page order, Judge Myers criticized Griffin’s attempts to change the election outcome retroactively, stating that such actions could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. He highlighted the importance of establishing clear rules before the election and not altering them after the fact.

Overall, Judge Myers’ ruling marks a significant victory for Riggs and reinforces the principles of fairness and integrity in the electoral process. As the legal battle continues, all eyes will be on the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to see if Griffin will pursue further legal action.