On Thursday evening, pro-democracy advocates hosted a virtual town hall to inform North Carolinians about Judge Jefferson Griffin’s ballot challenge case and hear from voters impacted by the egregious attempt to throw out over 60,000 ballots.
Judge Griffin, the Republican state Supreme Court candidate, has asked the state’s highest court to overturn the election by throwing out more than 60,000 ballots. Despite the NC State Board of Elections conducting a recount twice, which confirmed North Carolinians voted for Justice Allison Riggs to hold the court seat, Griffin and state Republicans are undermining the election and voters.
“We are in a very scary time,” Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC, stated during the virtual town hall. Call Judge Griffin’s effort “a blatant, unadulterated attempt to steal an election.”
Emancipate NC, Common Cause North Carolina, the NC NAACP, and other organizations came together Thursday evening to mobilize resistance against Judge Griffin and state Republican’s effort to overturn the election.
Judge Griffin’s challenge targets mostly Democratic ballots. An analysis from The News & Observer found that Black registered voters were twice as likely to have their votes challenged as white voters.
“We shouldn’t have to deal with voter suppression from people we elect to protect us,” stated Alexia Chavis, a student at NC A&T, during the town hall. “It’s not just frustrating, it’s very disappointing.”
According to NC Newsline, the state Supreme Court rejected Griffin’s petition to start immediately disqualifying votes and sent the case back to Wake Superior Court. The case may get back to the high court through appeals of lower court decisions, NC Newsline reports.
The case is continuing in state and federal courts.
