GOP ballot purge effort in Supreme Court race would require an outrageous and unprecedented remedy

The Bottom Line from NC Newsline

(Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline)

There’s been much discussion of late about Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin’s push to have sixty thousand-plus voters who cast ballots in the November election he lost to incumbent Justice Allison Riggs retroactively disqualified.

Griffin contends that because their original voter registration records – many of which were created decades ago – may not have included a Social Security or driver’s license number, these citizens were ineligible to vote. This, even though all had to comply with the state’s voter ID law last month.

No wonder many targeted voters are outraged.

One thing that hasn’t been discussed much, however, is what it would really mean if Griffin somehow prevailed.

Once ballots cast in person enter the ballot box, they are secret and anonymous. And since they can’t be identified, this means that what Griffin is asking for is a truly remarkable and unprecedented remedy – a completely new statewide election.

The bottom line: Griffin’s idea for a remedy is as ridiculous as the premise of his challenge. It’s long past time for him to concede the election.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.