Davidson County could face almost 500 votes tossed out of the 2024 election

Almost 500 Davidson County voters are entangled in a battle for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat. Following an extremely close November 2024 election, which included a statewide hand recount, Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs won by 734 votes over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.

Allison Riggs (D) Jefferson Griffin (R)

The North Carolina State Board of Elections accepted the election results and was prepared to certify the election. Before the certification could take place, Griffin filed several court cases to invalidate 60,000 ballots statewide.

Griffin's case includes allegations of voters being improperly registered and not having a valid driver’s license or social security number on their voter registration. Several overseas ballots are also being challenged.

The NC Supreme Court granted Griffin a stay on Jan. 7, 2025, preventing Riggs from being certified as the winner while the case moves through the federal district court.

The fate of 496 Davidson County voters, out of 93,848 total ballots cast, is hanging in the balance. Their votes could be invalidated. Officials say they understand that this situation is concerning for many people involved. They are considering several potential next steps, which may include the rejection of challenged votes, the dismissal of the claim, or even the possibility of a reelection for the judicial seat. They are committed to ensuring a fair and transparent process for everyone affected.

The North Carolina Board of Elections provides a spreadsheet at https://tinyurl.com/3b826h3v some users have complained to the BOE that this link is difficult to navigate. After selecting a county, users have to scroll down to find the list of names. In contrast, a website created by Apex Town Councilman Terry Mahaffey allows people to search for names more easily at https://terrymah.github.io/challenge/. Several voters contacted on the list were still unaware that their votes were challenged in court.

While the local and state Boards of Election cannot address the current challenge, voters are still encouraged to contact local boards to find out why their names may be on the challenged voter list.

Davidson County Deputy Director Adam Moore said their office encourages challenged voters to complete a new registration form online or at the NC BOE. "We can't do anything about that past but it could help for the future." Moore said that the local BOE understands the frustration. "Your vote is counted, unless the court tells us otherwise," he explained.

The list of challenged voters spans multiple parties, but the effort to invalidate these ballots has created a divide along party lines.

Cat Lawson, director of the NC Democratic Party Voter Protection, alleges that Griffin is trying desperately to find a way to recoup the needed 734 votes. “This effort is nothing more than a ploy to dress up what essentially is a math problem and try to make it look like the law. These voters did nothing wrong,” said Lawson.

Representatives from the NC GOP stated that the facts of the case remain unchanged, and that some individuals voted who were ineligible. Judge Griffin is fighting to ensure election integrity and resolution of these issues in a fair manner said NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons. He wrote, "The people of North Carolina are ready to finally see this process brought to a conclusion and the laws our state faithfully followed."

The state board of elections said in a written statement that they have considered Griffin’s challenges to invalidate votes and have found no merit to his claims. Voters and local boards are awaiting the outcome of the federal court’s decision.