North Carolina Court of Appeals Issues Ruling in Election Protest Over Supreme Court Race

 In a significant development for the 2024 general election, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has issued a decision in an election protest filed by state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin. The ruling, announced this week, could impact how certain votes are counted in the closely watched Supreme Court contest, though its implementation remains on hold pending a likely appeal.

The court’s decision may compel county boards of elections across North Carolina to reach out to voters whose registration forms lack a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. These voters would be given an opportunity to provide the missing information to ensure their votes for the Supreme Court race are counted. Additionally, the ruling addresses military and overseas-citizen voters who cast absentee ballots, potentially requiring them to submit a copy of their photo identification to validate their Supreme Court votes. Notably, this protest does not affect these voters’ choices in other races on the ballot.

While the decision could reshape the vote-counting process for the 2024 election, it is not yet in effect. Legal experts anticipate an appeal, which could delay or alter its enforcement. The State Board of Elections has stated that, should the ruling take effect, it will issue clear instructions to affected voters on how to comply.

In the meantime, election officials are encouraging proactive steps for voters. “Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this ongoing legal dispute, any voter who is concerned that their voter registration information is incomplete or not up to date should submit an updated voter registration form,” a State Board spokesperson advised. Updating registration is straightforward: voters with a North Carolina DMV license can visit payments.ncdot.gov, select “Continue as Guest,” and submit a registration application to update their existing record—no special account required. For those without a DMV license, a downloadable form is available at ncsbe.gov/register-mail, which can be printed, signed, and mailed to their county board of elections. Contact details for all 100 county boards are listed at vt.ncsbe.gov/boeinfo.

As this legal battle unfolds, the State Board of Elections has pledged to keep the public informed with updates. For now, the outcome remains uncertain, but the decision underscores the importance of accurate voter registration in determining the next state Supreme Court justice. Voters are urged to verify their information ahead of any potential changes stemming from this case.