Davidson County voters question lists of challenged ballots
During the holiday season, concerns arose among Davidson County voters regarding potential challenges to their ballots for the November 2024 election.
Over 1,300 voters in Davidson County were identified on a list of challenged ballots and notified via mail. Andrew Richards, the Director of the Davidson County Board of Elections, reassured voters that everything was in order, stating, "I can't speak for the courts, but the State Board of Elections dismissed the protest. The votes have been certified."
The challenges originated from Republican judge Jefferson Griffin, who, after losing a case for a statewide hand recount, initiated a protest supported by the NCGOP. His complaint focused on three groups of voters: those who registered without providing a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, individuals who have never lived in North Carolina, and overseas voters lacking photo identification.
Griffin sought to invalidate 60,000 state-wide ballots following his narrow defeat against Democratic Judge Allison Riggs for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat. He lost by just 734 votes. Most decisions denying Griffin's election challenges were made along party lines, with the board’s three Democrats voting against him while three Republican legislative candidates filed similar protests.
The board's written statement indicated that there was no substantial evidence of election law violations or irregularities. Board Chairman Alan Hirsch expressed disappointment over the lack of unanimous decisions but emphasized the significance of protecting the right to vote, calling it a fundamental constitutional right.
Griffin and the Republican legislative candidates had the option to appeal the board’s ruling. NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons stated, “We will review the board’s decision and consider future actions to ensure the integrity of our elections.”
For those interested, a list of challenged votes can be found in the document titled JeffersonGriffinList-AllegedIncompleteRegs-Names.pdf.
In response to voters' inquiries about a mailing about an election protest, the State Board of Elections clarified that the complaints stem from candidate Jefferson Griffin, who has contested the election results, claiming some voters were ineligible.
Voters who received a notice from the North Carolina Republican Party stating that “your vote may be affected by one or more protests filed regarding the 2024 general election” should be aware that Griffin has challenged the eligibility of their ballots.
The State and local election boards will review these challenges in the upcoming weeks. For further communication regarding this matter, the email address for the candidate who filed the challenges is info@jeffersongriffin.com, while the address for the opposing candidate is team@riggsforourcourts.com.
