JUSTICE ALLISON RIGGS CALLS ON NORTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT TO PROTECT VOTERS, REJECT “UNPRECEDENTED” AND “FATALLY FLAWED” CLAIMS
Raleigh, NC – Justice Allison Riggs asked the North Carolina Supreme Court to reject Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin’s baseless protests that seek to disenfranchise more than 65,000 eligible voters, including active duty service members.
Justice Riggs won the election for North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice in November 2024. More than two months after the election, losing candidate and sitting Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin still has not acknowledged the will of North Carolinian voters and conceded. Multiple baseless lawsuits have been filed by Judge Griffin to overturn his electoral loss.
Griffin v. State Board of Elections is currently being briefed in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral argument set for January 27. It is also being briefed in the North Carolina Supreme Court. In a separate motion today, Riggs’ counsel requested that the North Carolina Supreme Court schedule oral argument in the case.
In their filing today, Justice Riggs’ legal counsel emphasizes that Judge Griffin’s protests are unlawful and fail on their merits, including by seeking to change election rules after an election, tossing out lawful votes including from active duty service members, and disenfranchising voters specifically in Democratic areas of the state.
In addition, Judge Griffin’s action threatens the integrity and stability of our elections. As Riggs’ counsel notes in today’s filing, “…if Judge Griffin succeeds, the implications are staggering. Rather than suing before an election to challenge rules they do not believe are valid, candidates will have an incentive to say nothing and wait to see if they win. Then if they lose, they will drag out elections through litigation for months—to keep throwing out votes until they win. Never again will a voter in North Carolina be able to walk out of a voting booth knowing that his or her vote will count, and the court system will be flooded with lawsuits after every election seeking to challenge votes all over the State.”
“The voters of North Carolina elected Justice Riggs in November, which has been reaffirmed in two separate recounts. Judge Griffin’s disappointment in losing an election cannot be allowed to disenfranchise voters, including active duty service members serving our country overseas. Justice Riggs remains committed to upholding the right of every eligible voter to make their voice heard at the ballot box, as she has done for her entire career,” said Embry Owen, spokesperson for the Riggs campaign.