North Carolina judges order ballot checks in tight race won by Democrat

Supreme court says overseas voters must prove eligibility or votes will be discarded - which could affect election's result

The North Carolina supreme court paved the way to throw out thousands of ballots in a race for a seat on the court that was decided by just over 700 votes.

The staggering decision is the latest development in a race in which Democrat Allison Riggs defeated her Republican opponent, Judge Jefferson Griffin, by 734 votes. After multiple recounts confirmed Riggs's win, Griffin challenged the eligibility of more than 60,000 and courts have blocked certification so far. Last week, the North Carolina court of appeals - the body Griffin sits on - gave the challenged voters 15 days to prove their eligibility.