RALEIGH, N.C. — The tightly contested election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court is set to undergo a hand recount, following the completion of a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots, which showed no change in the candidates’ standings.

The recent machine recount concluded that Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs holds a lead of 734 votes over her Republican rival, Jefferson Griffin, who serves as a judge on the Court of Appeals.

While most county election boards reported only minor discrepancies in vote counts during the machine recount, State Board of Elections data confirmed that Riggs’ lead remained the same as it was after the ballot canvass concluded across all 100 counties in November. On election night, Griffin initially led by about 10,000 votes, but as provisional and absentee ballots were added, Riggs’ total overtook Griffin’s.
In response to the election results, Griffin has submitted election protests questioning the legitimacy of more than 60,000 ballots counted across the state. He is now requesting a partial hand recount, designated to commence on either Wednesday or Thursday, focusing on ballots from 3% of voting locations in all counties, selected randomly by the state board.

If the results of the partial hand recount show significant discrepancies when compared to the machine recount, a comprehensive statewide hand recount will be mandated.
Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court earlier this year and is now vying for an eight-year term, reiterated her claim to victory on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Riggs urged Griffin to accept the outcome graciously, stating that lost candidates should acknowledge the voters’ decision and not waste state resources. Riggs is one of two Democrats on the state’s seven-member Supreme Court.
Through legal counsel, Griffin has raised concerns about ballots he believes may be invalid due to various issues, such as missing driver’s license numbers or partial Social Security numbers in voter registration records, as well as potential breaches of state residency requirements by overseas voters.

State and county election officials are currently reviewing Griffin’s protests, with his lawyers pushing for expedited decisions from the state board, aiming for a verdict by early next week.

Matt Mercer, a spokesperson for the state’s Republican Party, emphasized that their main focus remains to ensure all legitimate votes are accounted for and to uphold public confidence in the election’s integrity. Rulings made by the state board can be subject to appeal in state court.

In addition to Griffin, three Republican candidates for legislative seats, who also found themselves trailing in their races after the machine recount, have joined in the protests. The Supreme Court contest, along with two specific legislative races, have yet to be officially finalized.

A significant legislative contest is for a House seat that includes Granville County and parts of Vance County. Incumbent Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon is now trailing his Democratic opponent, Bryan Cohn, by 228 votes, a slight decrease from a 233-vote deficit prior to the recount. Sossamon has similarly requested a partial recount, which began on Tuesday.

If Cohn prevails, Republicans will find themselves one seat shy of the 72 required to maintain a veto-proof majority in the 120-member House, potentially increasing the leverage for Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have already secured 30 of the needed 50 seats to uphold supermajority status in that chamber.

In a related legislative race not subject to protest, Mecklenburg County Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham successfully won reelection against Democrat Nicole Sidman. The machine recount indicated Cotham’s lead was 213 votes, a slight change from the 216-vote lead after the county canvass, with her transition from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in April 2023 playing a crucial role in securing the Republicans’ veto-proof majority, allowing them to override any of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes.