The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Wednesday voted to reject a Republican challenge that sought to invalidate 60,000 ballots in a state Supreme Court race.

The board’s decision, backed by a 3-2 vote, clears the path for the race results to move toward certification, with Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs maintaining a lead of over 700 votes, Washington Examiner reported.

After the November election, Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin’s campaign claimed that nearly 60,000 ineligible votes were cast, focusing on voter registration issues like missing Social Security or driver’s license numbers. The campaign challenged ballots in three categories: outdated forms, overseas voters failing residency requirements, and voters lacking photo ID.

Two recounts failed to reveal enough discrepancies to overturn Riggs’ narrow lead, but Griffin’s campaign pressed on. The North Carolina State Board of Elections, with a 3-2 Democratic majority, ultimately rejected the GOP’s bid to discard the ballots in a largely partisan decision.

Griffin Campaign’s Legal Challenge

Griffin’s campaign claimed that election officials should discard ballots cast by voters with incomplete registration forms, particularly those missing critical identification numbers. Campaign attorneys stressed that these voters had failed to meet the legal requirements for registration. “These voters were not eligible to cast a ballot without first lawfully registering,” they wrote in their initial brief to the board.

The board treated the three categories of challenged votes differently. In a party-line vote, it considered ballots from voters with outdated forms or who were overseas and failed to meet residency requirements. It unanimously rejected ballots without photo ID.

The board’s decision clears the way for race certification, though Griffin’s campaign may still appeal. The North Carolina GOP has indicated it will review the decision and may take future action to protect election integrity, according to state Chairman Jason Simmons.

Recounts Fail to Alter Results

Despite Griffin’s claims of widespread voter ineligibility, the two recounts had already failed to produce enough votes to alter the outcome of the race. Riggs, who had been leading the race by just over 700 votes, now appears on track to maintain her narrow advantage.

The ruling has already drawn mixed reactions, particularly from the Republican side of the aisle. GOP leaders have expressed concerns about voter integrity, stating that their objections were necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the state’s election system.

“The integrity of our elections is paramount,” said Simmons. "We will review the board’s decision and reserve the right to any future actions to protect that integrity."

Legal Battle Likely to Continue

On the other hand, supporters of Riggs, and Democratic members of the board, have defended the decision, noting that the challenges did not provide sufficient evidence to warrant throwing out the ballots. The board’s 3-2 vote in favor of rejecting the challenge ensures that Riggs’ victory remains intact, at least for now.

With the elections board set to proceed with certification, the legal battle over the race is likely far from over. Jefferson Griffin’s campaign has already indicated plans to continue pushing the issue, though it remains unclear how the state courts will respond to any future appeals.

For now, Riggs, a Democrat, maintains her narrow lead, but the political and legal ramifications of the challenge are expected to persist well beyond the election results.