• By Michelle Bobadilla
• Posted Monday, April 28, 2025

Information for Voters Challenged in Election Protest

On April 11, 2025, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued a decision in the election protest brought by state supreme court candidate Jefferson Griffin. It would require two things:

First, the decision would require certain military and overseas voters to provide a copy of their photo identification or claim an exception to the ID requirement, to ensure their ballot is counted for the November 2024 supreme court justice contest. This ruling would affect military and overseas absentee voters registered in Guilford County, although the courts are currently considering whether that decision should also encompass such voters in Buncombe, Cumberland, Durham, Forsyth, and New Hanover counties.

Second, the decision would remove the votes in the supreme court justice contest from certain overseas-citizen voters who have never resided in the United States but whose parents were North Carolina residents. This ruling would affect such voters in 53 counties across the state, although the courts are currently considering whether that decision should also encompass such voters in other counties.

However, on April 22, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit stopped this decision from going into effect. The stop is in place while the federal courts consider whether the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision complies with federal laws.

The State Board of Elections will quickly provide further information to the affected counties and voters if the federal courts allow the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision to move forward.

In the meantime, click here for responses to questions on this matter.