RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Board of Elections shared Tuesday it will not order a full hand recount of ballots in the closely contested North Carolina Supreme Court race.
This comes after the board already completed a machine recount last week, affirming Justice Allison Riggs, the Democratic incumbent, beat Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin by several hundred votes.
At Griffin's request, the board ordered a partial hand recount by bipartisan teams in all 100 counties. However, the board said the hand recount resulted in additional votes for Riggs and the race does not meet the requirements by state law to justify a full hand recount to take place.
“We once again owe our gratitude to the county boards of elections, and all of the workers who have made sure that ballots were counted accurately in this contest,” Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a statement. “Recounts, especially hand recounts, are tedious, difficult work.”
With multiple Republican efforts still underway to challenge the results, Griffin is not ready to concede.
According to a new lawsuit filed by the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP), Republicans are now asking for 60,000 votes to be tossed out primarily due to what they say are problems with photo ID or improper registration.
But Democrats say removing the ballots would risk a "mass disenfranchisement" of thousands of voters and are suing the NCSBE to ensure the board does not remove the votes.
Griffin, who is not a defendant in the Democrats' suit, is now filing a motion to intervene.
"I think Judge Griffin's lawyers and campaign felt like the state board would not adequately represent his position and perspective. So, therefore, they asked to intervene on his behalf," retired N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr said. "[The motion] allows his lawyers to go into court on whatever motions or hearings are being conducted in the matter and present their perspective on the case."
The state board is expected to meet Wednesday to continue considering any protests to the results in the Supreme Court race.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.