North Carolina Supreme Court Race Heads to Federal Court: A Cliffhanger Unraveled? 🍿
Contested election results in North Carolina court race, where Democrat leads, should be officially validated by judge's decree.
In the heart of the Old North State, the brutal political battle for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court between Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin is reaching its crescendo. The latest twist involves a federal judge's controversial ruling that could seal Riggs' electoral win.
Remember, this game ain't over until the fat lady sings. 🎵
U.S. District Judge Richard Myers dropped a bombshell late on Monday, siding with Riggs and others who argued that the recent decisions by state appeals courts to kick out potentially thousands of disputed ballots would be a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. Myers argued that doing so would compromise the due process and equal protection rights of the affected residents, thereby damaging the democratic process.
This epic judicial smackdown comes after Riggs secured a slim 734-vote lead over Griffin in two recounts. Griffin and his legal team, eager to find a backdoor to victory, had filed formal protests in the hopes of disqualifying ballots they deemed unlawfully cast.
Donald Trump's conservative judicial legacy lives on, with Judge Myers himself being a Trump-nominated appointee. 🏛️
In his 68-page order, Myers slammed Griffin's attempt to make retroactive changes to voting laws, highlighting that these changes would arbitrarily disenfranchise targeted voters. Moreover, Myers took aim at Griffin's challenges over voters not providing photo identification, which only affected voters in a handful of primarily Democratic-leaning counties in the state.
As the score stands, Myers argued that "you establish the rules before the game. You don't change them after the game is done." He also warned that such changes could cause confusion and erode public confidence in the democratic system.
Democrats and voting rights activists cried foul, warning that Griffin's machinations would be a roadmap for the GOP to undermine election results in other states. 🚨
In the barely-there light, some categories of ballots were ruled invalid by state appeals courts. These included ballots from overseas voters who had never lived in the U.S., but whose parents were declared North Carolina residents, as well as ballots from military or overseas voters who failed to provide copies of photo identification or necessary ID exceptions.
A "cure" process was allowed for the latter group to provide the missing documentation and have their votes count. The question now looms: will the state allow these voters the chance to correct their oversight, or will the political maneuverings of Griffin and his team ultimately sway the final outcome?
Griffin has yet to publicly comment on Myers' ruling. In the meantime, Riggs remains bullish about her prospects of continuing to uphold the constitution as North Carolina's Supreme Court Justice. We'll have to wait and see if Griffin decides to take a swing at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep this game alive. 🥊 Stay tuned for more political drama! 😎
- Judge Richard Myers, a Trump-nominated appointee, recounted his 68-page order that sided with Allison Riggs, stating that altering voting laws after the game is done would be arbitrary and potentially disenfranchise targeted voters.
- The recent state appeals court decisions to disqualify potentially thousands of ballots were contested by Riggs and others, arguing that these decisions would violate due process and equal protection rights, leading to a compromise of the democratic process.
- In the politics of North Carolina's Supreme Court race, the controversy over the disenfranchisement of ballots has led to a significant debate around policy-and-legislation and general-news, with Democrats and voting rights activists crying foul over Griffin's attempts to change voting rules after the election.
- As the race between Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin reaches its crescendo, Riggs has expressed optimism about upholding the constitution as North Carolina's Supreme Court Justice, while Griffin remains silent on Judge Myers' ruling, possibly considering an appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep the dispute ongoing.
