The recount in the North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6 contest is almost complete, with only two counties left to finish counting their ballots. Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin, who is challenging the validity of over 60,000 ballots statewide, requested a partial hand recount as he trails incumbent Democratic Allison Riggs by 734 votes. The recount applies to 3% of voting sites in all 100 counties chosen at random by the state board. The State Board of Election is waiting on Brunswick and Currituck counties to complete their recounts, with results expected on Tuesday.
Griffin and three other GOP state legislative candidates have challenged ballots due to various reasons, including voter registration issues and residency requirements. The North Carolina Democratic Party has sued to block the removal of these ballots, arguing that state officials would violate federal law if they side with Griffin’s protests. The state board tentatively plans to hold a public hearing on the protests next Wednesday.
If the sample results from the partial recount differ significantly from the machine recount, a statewide hand recount may be ordered. Griffin is pushing for a final decision to be made sooner rather than later. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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