RALEIGH, N.C. — The competition for a position on the North Carolina Supreme Court has intensified, especially following the completion of vote counts across the majority of counties from the November 5 election on Friday. This increasing closeness in results could potentially lead to recounts being requested next week.

As of now, over 80 of the state’s 100 counties have finalized their tallies. Associate Justice Allison Riggs, who is affiliated with the Democratic Party, is trailing behind her Republican opponent, Jefferson Griffin, by approximately 3,400 votes out of more than 5.5 million ballots cast. Initially, on election night, Griffin, who serves as a judge on the Court of Appeals, held a lead of roughly 10,000 votes.

According to state regulations, a candidate lagging in a statewide race is eligible to request a machine recount if the vote margin is 10,000 votes or less. Riggs, currently one of two Democrats on the seven-member court, has until early next week to make a decision regarding a recount.

The recount process is expected to be completed before the State Board of Elections finalizes its official canvass and certifies the election results on November 26.

In recent days, county election boards have reviewed tens of thousands of provisional and absentee ballots, adding those that meet eligibility standards to the totals first recorded on election night. Election boards across the state convened to address any challenges or objections, updating their figures in state election board systems and certifying their totals as official.

However, a few counties were unable to wrap up their canvassing by Friday and will continue their work into Saturday or Monday, according to state elections board representative Pat Gannon.

As for other competitive legislative races that have yet to be officially determined, results suggest that Republicans may not retain their veto-proof majority in the General Assembly. A key House race in a district encompassing two rural counties north of the Raleigh-Durham area shows first-term GOP Representative Frank Sossamon trailing Democrat Bryan Cohn by 233 votes. This margin falls within the allowed range for recount requests in legislative races, which is set at 1 percent.

If Cohn secures this win, Democrats would achieve a minimum of 49 out of the 120 House seats, exceeding the necessary number to disrupt the Republicans’ current veto-proof majority when the new two-year session commences in January. This development would grant Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein enhanced powers to veto unfavorable Republican legislation.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans successfully retained their supermajority by securing at least 30 out of 50 seats in their chamber, although close enough margins in two additional races may prompt recounts.

In the House, Tricia Cotham, a state representative from Mecklenburg County, continues to lead against her Democrat challenger, Nicole Sidman, with a margin of 216 votes after the local canvass on Friday. This is also within the recount range, and Sidman hinted at the possibility of a recount on social media.

Cotham’s switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in April 2023 provided the necessary votes to allow the GOP to bypass Governor Cooper’s vetoes, relying exclusively on party support. This political move has made Cotham a target for electoral challenges from Democrats.

Aside from the Supreme Court race, the results do not alter the outcomes of other state and federal positions from the November 5 ballot, which included Republican Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race, Democrat Josh Stein’s election as governor, and Democrat Jeff Jackson’s win for attorney general.

Among the over 60,000 provisional ballots reviewed since Election Day, many were categorized as such because voters were unable to present an acceptable photo identification. Additionally, other provisional ballots were submitted by individuals attempting to vote at the incorrect precinct.

A new statute that went into effect this year mandates that traditional absentee ballots must be submitted by the end of polling on Election Day. However, ballots received on Election Day will be counted during the canvassing phase, while ballots mailed from military and overseas voters will be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day but received later.