Transcript:
I’m Thomas Mills for PoliticsNC. Today is Friday, April 4, 2025 and democracy is slipping away in North Carolina.
Today, a three-judge panel ruled along partisan lines to allow Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin disqualify more than 65,000 votes. Griffin lost the election to justice Allison Riggs by about 730 votes.
The ruling gives voters 15 days to cure their ballots, but it would be very difficult to address 65,000 individual ballots.
The ballots in question include more than 5,000 military ballots cast by service members stationed overseas. The legislature said they didn’t need to have a photo identification, but the Court of Appeals disagreed–five months after they cast those ballots.
Another 60,000 voters had voter registration forms with incomplete identification, even though they all showed photo voter IDs at the time they voted.
This ruling is a travesty for democracy. Griffin and the Republican Party cherry-picked the ballots they challenged. If the same standard was applied to all voters, then Griffin would almost certainly have lost the election. Instead, the court is only considering the voters that Griffin singled out. The contested ballots are overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning constituencies.
Never again will a North Carolina voter be able to vote in an election and be sure that his vote will be counted. Creating this level of uncertainty around elections undermines our democracy.
The decision doesn’t only undermine faith in our elections, it undermines the credibility of the court. Legal experts from both parties voiced their opposition to the case. It should never have been heard in the first case.
Justice Riggs will appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court. With Riggs recusing herself from the case, six justices will vote to decide the case. A split decision will leave today’s ruling intact.
I only hope that four of those Justices have enough respect for the voters and the integrity of the court to rule against Griffin. Right now, I’m not optimistic.
I’ll be writing more about this decision and this case in the next few days, but these are my initial thoughts.
I’m Thomas Mills signing off for PoliticsNC.
Laches is an equity term referring to unreasonable delays in asserting legal rights, resulting in prejudice to the opposing party. If one waits too long to bring a claim, they may lose the right due to harming the other party's defense. The principle behind laches is "equity aids the vigilant, not those who sleep on their rights." Pointing out flaws after losing an election is unreasonable and undermines democratic processes. Moreover, fifteen days to correct registrations forces voters to take time away from their lives in a brief period.
This is right up there with Huckabee telling folks to let the air out of neighbor’s tires known to be Democrats the day of the election. The judges who heard the case may not be obliged to inform the parties of the law, but for the same reason they are under obligation to apply the concept where applicable. It is quite evident Republicans would not be crying to set aside the election if they had won. This is corruption at its highest level and does not speak highly of the judicial system. Democrats should appeal this decision to the Federal system and seek temporary relief pending out come of the appeal.
When someone, an ever hopeful fighter says he/she is not optimistic, I become hyper sobered.
Many Judges are just as crooked as politicians and to help this ‘’POS’’ GET ELECTED, EVEN THOUGH HE LOST IN ELECTION confirms total corruption at the highest level. Yep, judges will meet their lying politicians in hell when they take their final breath.
John Tyson, of the NC appeals court, being one of the crooked ones. He has always, and still thinks he's special, and the rules don't apply to him.
Although ex post facto is not legally applicable, the principle is present. Enacting rules that unfairly disenfranchise voters for previous legal actions reeks of corruption. I am still trying to grasp the idea that a NC Republicans can change the rules after losing an election which allows them to win.
This is absolutely despicable. How do we as North Carolinians enact a citizens arrest? It’s time to put people like this in jail.
Even in these mad times this is incredible.
This is beyond disgusting.
As an poll worker in Orange County I am disgusted by this whole ordeal. I don't know that I will take PTO from my regular job to work another 15 hr election day. What's the point?
The NC Dems just sent an email out with an overview. See below part of the email, but it is not an ask for money, but volunteer interest request. Yes there is a phone bank that is this Monday (see other comment in the thread), but they are planning the way forward.
https://www.mobilize.us/ncdems/event/773080/
'With today’s ruling, two Republican judges just gave him a path forward.
Justice Riggs has announced her intent appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court, and we’ll be backing her every step of the way. But, because she has recused herself, the court will be down to six justices—five Republicans and one Democrat. A 3-3 deadlock would leave this dangerous ruling intact.
This is a test case for the right-wing playbook: if you can’t win the election, challenge the voters. Manufacture a list. Create confusion. Let partisan courts do the rest.
We will not allow this to become the new normal.
The North Carolina Democratic Party is standing squarely behind Justice Riggs—and behind every single voter whose rights are under attack. We will continue fighting in court, in the legislature, and in every community across the state to defend our democracy.
We’re building a team of volunteers ready to take action in response to Jefferson Griffin. If you're angry, confused, or just want to help—we need your help.
Thank you for being in this fight with us,
North Carolina Democratic Party
Monday's phone bank:
https://www.mobilize.us/ncdems/event/750743/
Too bad criminals in GOP run this stinking state. NC, a corrupt sewerage stew of politicians. Can I have anymore anger than I do? Nope.
Right there with ya.
I am apoplectic, Thomas. And I don't know that all of the disenfranchised voters even have the 15 day opportunity to cure. As I understand it, The so-called "never residents" group will just have their ballots tossed. This is disgusting behavior by a sitting judge on the CoA.
So our votes don’t count!!! How can a judge do this???
This isn't just a North Carolina problem, of course.
Going forward, Republicans in other states will use this as a model to throw out votes from Blue districts. And "democracy" will diminish even more within this country.
Sure looks this way....
Well if necessary NC Dems have an operation unlike most others. Plus we have thousands of volunteers eager from the WI election and inspiration by Booker, Clinton, Obama, and Harris this week.
Just saying don't count us out.
In addition you didn't mention the 4th Circuit...
Yes, the 4th is there, but the state supreme court will get its say first.
There's no way that Allison Riggs will hold her seat with this decision since most of the 65,000+ votes probably being for her. This might be worse than anything the Felon is doing. How can judges declare that those votes don't count for Supreme Court but they do for every other race?
How can they do that? Because they're Republicans, and they have majorities on the appeals court and the supreme court, and that tells them they can do anything they damned well please 'cause there's nobody who can stop them.
No conscience. I remember when there were good Republican judges. A long time ago.
Most Americans have forgotten -- if they ever even knew -- that the great Earl Warren was a Republican. In fact, in that other time far, far away, he had been the Republican governor of California.
America has changed so very much from then!