In this moment of crisis, the courts have become the final guardrail against the forces of authoritarianism that seek to undermine the will of the voters.

Ian McPherson reads names from a list of over 60,000 people who cast ballots in the November election but whose votes have been challenged by Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin in his extremely close race with Demcorat Allison Riggs on January 14, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Chris Seward/AP

The North Carolina Supreme Court dismissed on Wednesday a request by the trailing candidate in an extremely close race for a seat on this same court to rule now on whether well over 60,000 ballots should be removed from the tally.

One of North Carolina's most consequential 2024 races remains undecided, as a challenge mounted by the race's apparent loser is on an anything-but-straightforward path through state and federal courts.

A political war has erupted over a state Supreme Court race in North Carolina more than two months after Democrats appeared to narrowly clinch the seat. Justice Allison Riggs, the Democratic

The N.C. Supreme Court is weighing whether to toss out more than 60,000 ballots cast in the race for a seat on that tribunal. That race is the last uncertified statewide contest in the nation.

Republican Jefferson Griffin is trying to overturn his election loss by asking the North Carolina Supreme Court to toss 5,500 military and overseas absentee ballots. He used the same method to vote in 2019 and 2020.

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs is accusing her Republican opponent of undermining democracy