DNC Asks Court to Block RNC Challenge to 60,000 Ballots in North Carolina
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) intervened in a Republican National Committee (RNC) lawsuit challenging 60,000 ballots cast in North Carolina in the state Supreme Court race and all other 2024 election contests.
This lawsuit was filed Dec. 31, shortly after GOP North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin brought his cases. The RNC’s case challenges most of the same ballots that Griffin’s does but excludes the challenges to ballots cast by overseas voters.
The RNC, North Carolina GOP and Wake County Republican Party alleged that for many years, the state election board used a voter registration form that failed to collect a driver’s license or social security number, which is required under state law.
They argued that prior to December 2023, the state processed over 225,000 voter registration applications without collecting the required identification information and failed to take immediate action to identify and remove unqualified voters from the state’s voter rolls.
This is nearly identical to a previous lawsuit the RNC filed in August. A court dismissed part of its case in October, and the remaining allegation is currently being litigated.
In the new iteration of the case, the RNC argued that as a result of this form being used, 60,000 voters cast a ballot in the November election without having provided the required identification.
The GOP plaintiffs asked the Wake County Superior Court to order the election board to immediately separate these ballots from the others, contact voters to request the missing information and remove ballots from the final election tally if a voter is unable to provide the necessary identification.
The Republicans didn’t mention the state Supreme Court race specifically, but the timing of the filing and the nature of the ballot challenges coincide with Griffin’s litigation.
On Thursday, Democrats intervened in the case “to protect the rights of North Carolina voters and ensure that they, not right-wing courts, get to decide who their elected officials are,” the DNC said in a statement.
The DNC filed a brief urging the court to reject the Republicans’ request, arguing that they “seek to delete the votes of tens of thousands of voters in every state and municipal election not because those voters are ineligible or did anything wrong, but because of an alleged record keeping problem.” The Democrats added that all of these voters singled out by the GOP provided ID information at one point, like when they first voted.
Also, the DNC cited state and federal laws that establish that once an eligible voter is added to the voter rolls, a minor issue with their registration application is not grounds to nullify their vote.
In a statement, the DNC connected this lawsuit directly to the GOP effort to overturn the results of the state Supreme Court election, which Democratic Incumbent Justice Allison Riggs won. Riggs’ win was solidified in two different recounts, but Griffin has refused to concede, instead filing lawsuits Dec. 18 and Dec. 20 to challenge over 60,000 ballots.
In his Dec. 18 case, the state Supreme Court — the court Griffin is running for a seat on — temporarily blocked the certification of his race and agreed to hear his ballot challenges case.
The DNC explained that the Republicans are not only seeking to remove votes in the court race but in all state and local races, “including elections that were completely undisputed.”
“While Republicans attempt to suppress the votes of their constituents, Democrats will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that voters determine elections – not politicians. On November 5, North Carolina voters elected Justice Allison Riggs. Their voices will be heard,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison.
The Wake County Superior Court held a hearing this morning on the RNC’s request, and a decision is expected shortly.
Read the DNC’s motion to intervene here.