Alarm as Republican judge who lost election pushes voter-fraud claim

Jefferson Griffin trying to remove thousands of ballots from North Carolina count in case that has drawn large protests

Four months after the 2024 election, and after recounts affirmed his loss, a North Carolina judge running for a seat on the state's high court has yet to concede. Instead, Jefferson Griffin is still trying to remove more than 65,000 voters' ballots from the count, contending they were not lawfully able to vote.

Griffin's case, closely watched by both political parties for its ability to set a precedent in a swing state, is now before the state's court of appeals, on which he sits. Griffin, a Republican, lost to Democratic supreme court justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes, affirmed by two recounts. The parties filed briefs in early March, and the Republican-leaning court of appeals is expected to schedule arguments soon.